GENERATION AND DEGENERATION

 

THE DEGENERATION OF THE CHURCH

 

Just as mankind degenerated into ‘beasts’ with one sin, the church has degenerated into the Beast in thousands of years. Jesus said to Peter about Himself, “Upon this Rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat 16:18).

Catholics say that the Church was built on Peter (Greek; Petros) while the Church was really built on the Rock (Petra). Language is awkward at times, Petros is not plural but the root noun. Petra is the feminine form of masculine Petros.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church is the ‘Pope,’ or ‘Papa’ (father). They claim that Peter was the first Pope, or father of the Church.

The Church is feminine; Jesus said, “The days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days” (Mark 2:20). The ‘Groom’ is taken to be Jesus, as most theologians understand, and the ‘Bride’ the Church. Jesus asked, “Can you make the children of the Bridechamber fast, while the Bridegroom is with them?” (Luke 5:34).

The ‘Bridechamber’ would be the Invisible Church and the Bride, those who say they are ‘Brides.’ Of course, the parable of the brides has both brides that are ready and those who think they are prepared for the wedding appropriately enough.

As the story goes, many thought they were ‘brides’ but just a few were!

For the first point, the ‘Bridegroom’ is the masculine head of the Church and it was not Peter. How so? The ‘Brides’ are those waiting for Christ — Petra — the feminine form for the ‘Rock.’ They are those who would be ‘married’ to Jesus.

Paul wrote about spiritual marriage, “Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom 7:4).

Jews were ‘married’ to the Law. Christians, according to Paul, are married to the One who died and was raised from the dead. That ‘marriage,’ again according to Paul, “should bring forth fruit unto God.”

I checked on the meaning of marriage in that context. I was expecting to see something associated with coupling! Not, so, the Greek word is ‘ginomai’ — “caused to be regenerated” (Strong 2006). The marriage of the Bride to the Bridegroom is not ‘marriage’ (gameo), meaning to wed, but to become One with Christ, or ‘born again’ — “engendered from above” (ibid).

Therefore, the ‘Bride’ — the Church — are of the gens of God just as Jesus is the ‘Son of God.’ Just as Adam shared his image, most assuredly his genes, that he received from God, Paul meant by bringing our fruits to God that Christians are to share their gens from their regeneration from Jesus.

To be blunt, it was not by Paul’s marriage and semen that the Church was formed but the blood and waters from the Belly of Jesus who sowed the Good Seed on Calvary. (Paul was never married.)

So how about the degeneration of the Church. It should be when the ginomai ceases. Again, not to be nasty, but ginomai literally means “to come,” according to linguist Justin J. Petrick. Therefore, marriage to Jesus means coming to Him, not the other way around. In fact, all that the Greeks needed to do was demonstrated when they said to Philip, “Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:21).

Of course, even sinners could see Jesus and remain unscathed, but the Greeks were seeking to see the Face of God that God had hidden from Moses. The Church, therefore, is a multitude of people from all nations that see Jesus as the Face of God.

Those Greeks saw Jesus as God and became part of the Church. The proof of their ‘regenesis’ is them bringing forth good fruit from God. How can a ‘bride’ of Christ know that they are ‘married’ to Jesus, having become one with Him? Jesus revealed how to know, “Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so, shall you be my disciples” (John 15:8).

Jesus was speaking of that ginomai from Him that we are to share with others. We are to sow the seed that Jesus shared with mankind on the Cross. Disciples are not only followers and learners but ‘spreaders’ of the ginomai. The Church is built on spreading ginomai, and the material for the Church is “lively stones” (1 Pet 2:5).

So, here is the third type of ‘stone’ from the Greek — lithos, or small stones with zoa — that are alive!

Think of a lithograph. It is the image of a person or other object chemically reproduced on stone. We know from scripture that graven images are not to be made, (Exod 20:4). Lithography uses a greasy substance to draw objects on stone. They are not engraved but parts of the surface of the stone become more susceptible to ink than others. They are drawn, not by hands, but by the agency of God!

‘Lively stones’ would be those drawn by the Hand of God. The ‘stones’ would have God engraved into their being; the lithos being the pebbles (Christians) on which they plainly see the Face of God and see it is Jesus!

The Book of Genesis is about God making two ‘lively stones’ (Lithos that have come alive) and them soon degenerating. It continues with the progeny of those two lively stones (images of God) becoming more and more depraved. Their assignment was not to create anyone; God would do that, but only to spread the genes of God to the little Lithos (Pebbles) that He would make.

Eve took it upon herself to spread the ginomai of God and as a result the genetics of God that she received from Adam spreading them, she decided to do herself (Gen 4:1). In one generation, man had degenerated to a beast as Cain was of the Wicked One (1 John 3:12).

With that background it should be plain to see that things were made perfect, but afterward all things degenerated in the world. Adam and his mate had a propensity to sin, but God slowed it down with coats of skin (Gen 3:27). However, up until the time of Jesus, the history or mankind was more and more degenerative. Indeed, we have evolved, but according to the science, it would not be toward improvement but chaos.

Since this is getting lengthy, tomorrow I will continue with the degeneration of the Church and begin with the seven churches of Asia.

 

 

JUST WHO ARE WE?

(continued)

Previously Jesus had been under attack because of His supposed parentage. The Pharisees were hounding him because his mother was six months pregnant and not yet married to Joseph. By Mosaic Law, that made His mother the ‘harlot’ and His father a ‘lawbreaker’ because he did not put her away. Unknown to them, Mary was not a harlot, but was a virgin who had broken no law, and to be crude, no hymen, and the latter was always the ‘token’ that they checked.

Joseph was a righteous man who knew the true Father of Jesus, and as such, Joseph was a good step-father that protected his adopted son as his own, removing Him from the jeopardy of King Herod’s sicarii.

By adoption, Joseph was as much the father of Jesus as Christians are the ‘sons of God’ by adoption.

Adoption is a process. Paul wrote about it, speaking of followers of Christ, “And not only they (the whole creation), but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23).

Now consider the birthing process: God cursed Eve, “Unto the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (Gen 3:16). Sorrow therein is labor, and conception is pregnancy. Hence, rebirth is much like birthing and gestation both of which women were accursed.

Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). That should not surprise anyone (“marvel not”) because there is pain in labor and groaning in pregnancy, especially in the delivery.

The same goes for rebirth, according to Paul.

Christians have the firstfruits of the Spirit during their spiritual ‘pregnancy.’

‘Firstfruits’ are “the beginning of the sacrifice” (Strong 2006). Spiritual pregnancy (conception) begins with God sacrificing His “fruits’ in the beginning, just as He did with Mary.

The messenger of the Lord revealed to Mary how Jesus would come about, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also, that Holy Thing which shall be born of you shall be called the ‘Son of God’” (Luke 1:35).

Those who are born again, are the beginning of holy things; things start with rebirth. God provided to Mary, His ‘Ghost,’ or in the Greek, “pneuma,” or wind. Therefore, Jesus was molded in the same fashion as Adam… hence Jesus is the Last Adam’: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen 2:7).

Translated ‘nostrils,’ the literal meaning is ‘face,’ or ‘countenance’ (ibid), or archaically, ‘semblance.’ Adam had the ‘Thoughts’ (semblance) of God. Therefore, the Image in which Adam was created was with the Thoughts of God, therefore thinking no evil.  Rebirth would therefore begin with the Thoughts of God in contrast with the thoughts of men. Speaking about the wicked, God said to Isaiah, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isa 55:8).

The firstfruits that come from the Spirit of God — the Pneuma — are Thoughts. The apostle Paul understood that, when he “reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks” (Acts 18:4). Therefore, the beginning of rebirth is not a carnal act but a Spiritual Thought from God, and as it turns out, ‘multiplication’ was not how it is thought to be, but as Adam and his woman were told, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen 1:28).

That ‘fruit’ was the Thoughts of God. They were to multiply living souls by the male breathing the Spirit of God onto his mate, giving her the mind of God. It is not the body that is sacrosanct but the soul which is the ‘vessel’ for the Spirit of God that sembles God and resembles Adam as he was before sin. Hence, carnal knowledge — sexual coitus with pregnancy — was the curse and not the Way of God, remembering that God said that our ways are not His Ways. That would pertain to birth and rebirth as well!

Jesus then began to interrogate the Pharisees who had pride in their knowledge of scripture, knowing all the do’s and don’ts. Rather than saying, you fools, Jesus was more tactful, “He answered and said unto them, ‘Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female?” (Mat 19:4).

The question had been about divorce — putting away one’s wife (Mat 19:3), not for one specific cause, but for “every cause.” In other words, should a man look for just any cause to divorce his wife. Any sin, perhaps, would suffice to them. Therefore, since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), then just wait until the woman comes short even one time and voila!

It is now convenient to identify ‘glory.’ Glorious is the Image of God and Adam was made in that same Image. First off, it was not his flesh that was the Image of God but his ‘Selem’ (Hebrew), the ‘Shadow’ or “Phantom” of God (ibid). The flesh was nothing — nakedness — to God; it was the living soul that God planted in the Garden; the dust would just return to the dust because it was just a material image of the phantom soul within.

Coming short of the glory of God is not being like God. God is without sin, so coming short is sinfulness, or failing to be the exact Image of God. Everybody comes short of the Image of God — His Divine Presence — because sin is genetic as mankind does what even most beasts will not do.

Beasts were made differently; they were meant to copulate. Even the beasts have natural cycles to reproduce, but coming far short of the glory of God, mankind copulates at will and with whom he will with no thoughts of multiplication. Therefore, man’s kind (us extant beings) without rebirth are as ‘beasts’ or to be more direct, as the ‘Beast’ — the Serpent.

Implied within scripture (Gen 4:1) is that Cain was the first being made from physical activity. Man was an ‘Adam” — a ‘kind.’ Cain was just an ‘extant’ being (ibid) — part man and part ‘beast.’

The smart Pharisees knew scripture, but Jesus had to remind them, “And said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?’” (Mat 19:5).

Jesus was going somewhere with that saying or He would have not said it. He drew on scripture to remind them how it was in the glorious condition of the Garden Paradise.

They were one flesh. They were both of Adam’s kind, and woman came from the man, and the man from God. Just as Adam was the Image of God, so was his woman. She was his helper (Gen 2:18), meaning that one with the other is the whole! They were one kind when in the glorious state.

Then Jesus described the divisive moment when sin entered into the woman: ‘Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mat 19:6).

Marriage is a return to the original state. The Serpent divided the one kind into two. We think of Adam and Eve as the names of the male and the female, but in the Garden, the two were both ‘Adam’s;’ him the ‘man’ and she the ‘woman’ — the same kind but two very different genders.

Note that sin split the couple into two kinds. The man remained ‘Adam,’ but the woman was a new kind, ‘Eve.’ No longer were the two Adamah the parents of all the living, but sin caused the one kind to degenerate into two. After conceiving Cain of the wicked one (1 John 3:12), “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, ‘I have gotten a man from the Lord’” (Gen 4:1).

Eve became godlike… “I have gotten” rather than God begot. Her countenance had changed. She became like the Beast, ‘Lucifer,’ who aspired to throne of God (Isa 14:13-14).

Adam did not beget Cain as afterwards men would. Adam “knew” Eve, his wife! He saw her do something (ibid). She was no longer a glorious ‘Adam’ but an inglorious ‘Eve.’ That name means ‘symbiotic’ (ibid) — “being (in) a close physical association between two or more dissimilar organisms” (Merriam-Webster 2023). She had intercourse with the Serpent, and probably not just verbal intercourse. The Serpent beguiled her (Gen 3:13), surely putting his guile, or cunningness, into the woman, and modifying her kind.

Her ”man” that she begot was cunning like the wicked one. He was not really ‘man’ — an ‘Adam,’ but an ‘Is (Hebrew), just another “extant” existence.

Not only that, but the woman was no longer an Adam, but an ‘Eve’ (‘Issa; Hebrew) the female counterpart to another kind of being.

The male and female genders called, ‘Adam,’ once one kind was divided into two kinds, Adam and Eve.  

Adam retained his countenance (Image) but Eve did not. I believe her new countenance was the “screech owl” of the Book of Isaiah — Lilith. She is known for her kind perishing children in their nests (the womb – abortion).

What is common among humans that is almost unheard of in other animals? Abortion. The animals have dens to birth in and for comfort. Humans have ‘dens of thieves’ wherein the lives of children are traded for money!

It was the original sin where Adam came short of the glory of God, and now everyone born lacks that countenance and are “born in iniquity” (Psalm 51:5). ‘Iniquity’ is the state of being inglorious and without the Image of God. Because we all come short of the glory of God, being born in iniquity, rebirth is necessary to be made glorious again, as in the beginning.

It begins with persuasion. The Thoughts of God from the Word must hit sinners squarely in the face, or mind. No wonder Calvary is the ‘locus of the cranium.’ The divine Impulse that kicks off rebirth is that indeed Jesus is God and He showed us the Image of God within Himself at Calvary (Mark 15:37).

Since Jesus is the “Last Adam with the “quickening Spirit” (1 Cor 15:45), then it is the Image of God — the Holy Ghost — in the man, Jesus — that makes sinners alive again. The Holy Ghost of Jesus breaths life into the mind of sinners, so that our thoughts are Thoughts such as His.

We should begin to think like Jesus from the Word and walk the Way that He walked. Our countenance begins to change, at first being “babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:21), and remaining ‘pregnant’ with tribulation in the world, and with the process finalized, the agony of death to be saved!

Jesus finished his lesson about the creation and the division of the kinds. He was saying that there was one kind in the beginning and that was meant to be. The first sin was a division of the kinds — a ‘divorce’ where one kind was divided into two, and usually with animosity between them rather than a spirit of accord.

As such, regeneration is mankind being one kind again with the Divine Impulse from the Holy Ghost to start the rebirth. Only at death is a person totally alive and for some, remade in the Image of God and on the Way to Heaven, reverting to the glorious image of Adam, with incorruptible flesh not like Eve’s.

Hence, regeneration is a reconciliation under the auspices of God wherein our kind returns to one kind with Jesus as King and Lord of all.

Why all that explanation? The Pharisees, as smart as they were, failed to understand Mosaic Law. It was not that the Law was not good, but that God knew Eve’s kind quite well. He explained even further:

They (the Pharisees) said unto Him, “Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?”

He said unto them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Mat 19:7:8). He got that saying from His own Word from the beginning. Man was to remain men and woman remain women. Cain was a transhuman, and that was the worst of the inglorious.

Jesus could not be fooled. He said it all along, yet the dumb Pharisees were comfortable thinking themselves still glorious. Jesus burst their ‘bubble’ and mine as well; we are not Adam’s glorious kind, but Eve’s inglorious kind and we are symbiotic with our ‘father the devil” (John 8:44). We are of the Serpent’s genes, and Jesus was truthful enough to call a spade a ‘spade,’ or better said, a sinful man a “fiery dart” of the wicked one!

MARRIAGE AND HOLY MATRIMONY

  I have distinguished the difference many times between marriage and Holy Matrimony. [1] Briefly, marriage is of two types: civil and sectarian, legalized by a paper document or by a church ritual. Both are “civil” unions, and not holy because they are only between two persons. The Pope or bishop recognizes them both, but God does not! Why so? Because they are marriages without God. Ritual is no more than performing a ceremony in an orderly fashion. Those who marry in a church building do not make the marriage holy.

  In Holy Matrimony, the Christians are the “building.’ Since Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), marriage between two Christians is enlarging God’s Temple. (More on that shortly). Then, a family is enlarging it more, the extended family even more, ad infinitum. When two or more are joined together in the Name, Jesus, there is Church (Mat 8:20). As such holy matrimony enlarges two personal Churches.

  Hence, Holy Matrimony is the Church. Scripture calls the Church, “the Bride of Christ,” and He is the Bridegroom. Whenever two Christians come together in His Name, in Holy Matrimony, there is a silent third Person there! The bride, the groom, and the Groom (Jesus) are one Body joined together that no man should put asunder, to wit:

KEY VERSES: ³ The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” ⁴ And he answered and said unto them, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” ⁵ And said, “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” ⁶ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Mat 19:3-6)

  While that is absorbed, consider again civil marriage. There are not three persons involved. The official does not count because he is only a civil official. Too much emphasis is put on a piece of paper and the authority of the official. Man does not perform Holy Matrimony, but only civil ones. Hence most marriages are civil unions, making it so easy to put asunder. Usually, it is a third unholy person who puts those marriages asunder. Even Christians that have merely “marriage” have great obstacles ahead. Of course, when they realize God is necessary for completion, they can turn to God for Holy Matrimony.

  Jewish marriages, in apostolic times, did not involve paper or ritual. When two persons of different genders were betrothed, then God was accepted as their “Counselor.” Just what does “betrothed” mean? Essentially it is as marriage, but with neither cohabitation nor sexual intercourse. It is the promise to love and cherish the woman in a manner suitable to God. It is the “holy” part of Holy Matrimony. Coptic Christians still practice betrothal before marriage.

  With the holy part accomplished over time, the spiritual engagement is over, and it is time for the physical “engagement.” The “Church” must be enlarged if possible! God commanded that: “God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply’” (Gen 3:22). Note that God did not say, “Be pleasured and enjoy!” Marriage is intended to enlarge the Church and build a grander Temple for God. Carnal pleasuring builds a “house” for Satan.

  Jesus was asked about marriage. Obviously, it was to make Him stumble. He referred the Pharisees to the creation, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female?” Then Jesus referred to marriage in this way, “(He) shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

  So just where to look for marriage in the beginning? In the beginning! First, check right after the “beginning.” It is written, “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, ‘I have gotten a man from the Lord.’” They finally obeyed the command to multiply, but only after they sinned. “Knew” in Holy Scripture is coitus — when a man and woman with opposite “tools” engage in sexual intercourse. For those who have children, it is when they intentionally “knew” each other for that purpose. There was both carnal pleasure and spiritual pleasure, the latter only if they are Christians. Remember the fruits of both trees, from the New Testament”:

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19’21)

  Therein, Paul referred to “times past.” He referenced others before, as well as Adam and Eve. “Idolatry” was their genitalia, “variance” is the misuse of them, “emulations” are contests to reach climaxes, “uncleanness” includes emissions without the intent of procreation, “lasciviousness” is offensive  intense sexual desires, and so forth. For those reasons, many believe that sexual intercourse with no intention of reproducing was among the sins of Adam and Eve.

  They may have had coitus, but only for pleasure, with no intention of obeying God’s command to multiply. That makes sense, given the input of James, that breaking one commandment is as if breaking them all (Jas 2:10).

  Why else would the guilty pair make aprons of fig leaves to cover their shame? Why else would adultery be such a tremendous sin? Why else would the flesh of all people be their greatest strongholds? Why would building obelisks be so wrong, or “high places” in the Bible if not for the genitals of men and women?

  Now for the great surprise! In the key verses, it said, concerning Holy matrimony; that “the two shall be one flesh.” Just when did Adam and Eve begin marriage? Not with sex in the Garden or outside it when Adam “knew” Eve, but the two were one, when they were one flesh.  God created Adam, and a line was drawn in the sand, so to speak. God IS, and Adam became. To triangulate required a third person, and that was Eve. God was God, Adam was man, and Eve was to be “wife-man” (“help meet” for completion). Eve soon committed adultery with Satan, not with “good” knowledge, but with new carnal knowledge (evil).

  Eve fornicated against God, and then Adam did as well. Adam could have been as easily named, “Fornicator.” Then as only betrothed, they surely fornicated with each other beneath the “tree of carnal knowledge” (evil).  

  There they learned about adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, and Idolatry. Hence, Holy Matrimony did not entail carnal knowledge, but only spiritual knowledge. For that reason, betrothal in apostolic times was Holy Matrimony and sexual intercourse for reproduction, and merely for obedience. Civil marriage is more about lust than love, but Holy Matrimony is more about love of God and loving each other in like manner. As mentioned previously, it is to build the Church.

  Now back all the way to the beginning of marriage, of which Paul spoke.

²⁰ For Adam there was not found an help meet for him. ²¹ And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²² And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³ And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  (Gen 2:20-24)

  Adam and Eve’s “marriage” was then! Her creation was “Holy Matrimony” and there was neither lust (carnal knowledge) nor sex involved. Neither were genitalia a part of Holy Matrimony! Compare the unity of man and wife-man above with the key verses.  Matthew quoted Genesis chapter two in the above. Holy Matrimony is as “one flesh.” “Cleaving” is to be “fastened together as one.” Eve was fastened to Adam as she was created. She did not come from his rib, but from his “curved side. “Rib” is implied, but the “cleavage” was the “silver cord” that is loosed when people die (Ecc2:6).

  Thus, Adam and Eve’s marriage was unification as if one until death when the silver cord is loosed. Only with the “silver cord” loosed, can one remarry.

  Adam “married” God when God breathed unto Adam, and Adam married Eve when God breathed life unto Eve through Adam’s side. The “silver cord” went from God to Adam to Eve and Holy Matrimony was introduced into Paradise. The betrothal was between God, Man, and Wife-man, as “help-meet” implies. Adam and Eve, if they indeed did pleasure under the tree, learned carnal knowledge and their matrimony was loosed. No longer were they as one in spiritual unity but in disunity. Satan tore their Holy Matrimony asunder.

  Look how quickly Paradise changed after carnal knowledge: Eve blamed the Serpent, Adam blamed Eve, and God was left out when they made their own aprons. No longer were they united in Holy Matrimony, but the silver cord was loosed and they each became as one individual, and each became “as God” (Gen 3:5). Not only did they spiritually separate, but they also separated themselves from God.

  With the two asunder, they were cast out of the Garden where God resided, but was  not first in their lives. They had something to remember God by, and that was the flesh of a lamb that God divided and cloaked them with. He kept the two who had been one, as one, and safe with His coat until Adam and Eve would be betrothed again. But that would not be as husband and wife who carnally know each other, but as brother and sister (Mat 22:30). In other words, they will be betrothed, but not carnal.

  Now back to apostolic times: “betrothal” had great significance. Paul wrote, “The time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none” (1 Cor 7:29), meaning to put pleasure aside and be holy as God is Holy. Rather than betrothal to Wife-man alone, the focus must be on God alone, as if not married.

  “Betrothal” infers commitment. Civil unions are noncommital, but to have civilized sex with one mate. Holy Matrimony a “triangulation” between God, woman, and man. Of course, fornication is also triangulation — between Satan, woman, and man. The opposite of betrothal is “disunion.” With carnal knowledge, the union of man and woman was loosened. Rather than betrothal with unity, it was disunion with chaos. The blame game started and continues to this day. Holy Matrimony is putting away the blame game, and a tightening of the silver cord between man, woman, and God.

  Marriage, to this day, fails so often because God is left out of the home, and it becomes merely two individuals cohabitating. Jesus had something to say about that as well:

¹⁷ The woman (at the well) answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said unto her, “Thou hast well said, I have no husband: ¹⁸ For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly” (John 4:17-18)

  Just what did Jesus mean by that? Perhaps the woman had been betrothed five times as was the custom; that she had had abstinence to make her marriages seem holy before coitus. However, with the man with whom she lived, there had been no betrothal at all. Her “marriage” was “unholy matrimony” which is the case for most to this day.

  With that truth, the woman knew that Jesus was a “Prophet.” She was certainly religious and had knowledge of good as well as carnal knowledge. Then Jesus gave her “living water’ from His side, and there was a silver cord made taut between Him and her. She was at one with Jesus and became His “bride.” She was “born again” much in the same manner as Eve “drank” the “Living Water” (Holy Spirit) from Adam.

  All the other “husbands” were of no consequence because He made the “harlot” unto a “saint” with His Word. Jesus covered her carnal flesh with His Holy Spirit. She became the “bride” of Jesus. She joined Christ in a type of “Holy Matrimony.”

  So, marriage is more than coitus and a family; it is commitment to each other and to Jesus. Without Jesus in the triangle the marriage is not Holy.

  Why so many divorces among Christians? Because Holy Matrimony is revealed only as a marriage for pleasure. There is a time for everything, but Holy Matrimony is unity with God by two people. It is not conjugal visitation, but glorious visualization.

  The holiest of marriages was Joseph and Mary. They were betrothed but had not “known” each other. Mary had spiritual oneness with God and provided Mary a Son. Thereafter, it was God, Mary, and Joseph. Just as Jesus was borne of God, He was born of Mary, in the most sacred marriage of all time. Because they had no coitus theretofore, Joseph’s and Mary’s betrothal was the Most Holy Matrimony. Joseph experienced Mary through Jesus, and the three became one.

  Joseph and Mary were unmarried, but were holy in their betrothal. 

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[1] Herrin Daily Thoughts: On Holy Matrimony (kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com)

[2] For an explanation of wife-man, see the author;s blog at Herrin Daily Thoughts: DEJAVU (kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com).

(picture credit: YouTube; "Joseph and Mary")

CHROMOSOMES, US, AND GOD

 

  Who are we? If we are Christians, what is our genealogy? Even geneticists admit that everyone has an “Adam” but unfortunately those “Adams” are only ten generations. We are all sons of one progenitor, but somewhere along the line, DNA changed. The DNA of Adam was mutated into other “Adams.”

  My commentary today is both for fun and learning, but “seed” (DNA) has much ado in Holy Scripture. The fact that Jesus is the “seed” of David has much significance in that Jesus had David’s DNA. With that said, DNA is a modern discovery that has validated the importance of genetics. Adam was created with DNA and he is the father of all mankind. His DNA is in all of us! Let me speculate wildly today, but at least think about it.

  I have written elsewhere that since there is XY and YY chromosomes that there must have been YY at some point in time. [1] Adam’s DNA was purely God’s and Eve’s purely Adam’s. With sin, both their DNA changed. Since Eve is the mother of all mankind, her chromosomes would have been XX just as all females are to this day. Since she received her DNA from Adam, he was surely created with XX  chromosomal as well.

  Sin was accounted to Adam because God commanded him and gave him the wage of that sin that was death. Not only did Adam’s spirit from God change, but his flesh did as well; it went from glorified flesh to beastly flesh. His image changed from divine to worldly for acclimation to where he would live. To keep the son of God safe, God provided him a new flesh for protection with the skin of an innocent lamb; “innocent” because animals, excepting the serpent, have not sinned.

  Men have impure DNA since a man was responsible for sin. From whom did the Y- chromosomes enter mankind? From Satan who had entered Adam because he alone broke the Law. Henceforth, Adam was no longer the son of God because Satan was his new biological and spiritual “father;” to wit: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:44). My hypothesis is  that the Serpent’s DNA changed as well as Adam’s as Satan entered that one beast and the “virus,” or DNA, of sin entered Adam. Since Adam, men have XY-chromosomes and women XX. That does not make women godly and men evil but distinguishes the genders.

  Adam was created the high priest and Eve his subject. Evil is Satan gone sour and his “son” Adam following in his footsteps. Adam inherited the propensity to sin from Satan. Apparently, Adam has both glorious DNA and inglorious — XY. With that said, in my book, On the Origins of Man, I hypothesized that YY-chromosomes came from the heavenly beings. I also questioned if there was a mutation of YY-DNA, and found that there was: XYY-Chromosomes , a mutation of XY.

  With that said, the XX-Chromosomes would come from God and YY from Satan. I wondered though because neither are women angels! Where then is modern woman’s “glory?”

¹² For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. ¹³ Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? ¹⁴ Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? ¹⁵ But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. (1 Cor 11:12-15)

  God covered both Adam and Eve with new flesh. They were safe together as the household of God. God had mercy on Adam, and that mercy transferred to Eve. So long as Adam was safe, so was Eve, because the two were one body in Christ as a result of Holy Matrimony. Think on that; Adam and Eve were both DNA from God but Adam, responsible for sin, was mutated with Lucifer’s DNA.

  God apparently gave angels their own DNA. All the angels that ever existed still exist, according to the author of Cave of Treasures. Scripture supports that, “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven” (Mark 12:25). Marriage is consummated by obedience; to multiply, inferring coitus. With that said, if angels cannot multiply, then XY-Chromosomes alone for them cannot. For childbearing, both some multiple of Y-chromosomes and X-Chromosomes are required.

  Since YY cannot reproduce, then to enlarge themselves, XX would be necessary. All angels, in God’s model, would have YY-chromosomes and be incapable of reproduction.

  Lucifer’s goal is to be as God on High. God had children, so Lucifer would have to find a way to have children. It seems that Lucifer found a way to multiply like Adam did. He copied himself in his new “son.” Lucifer would have YY-chromosomes, Cain’s line would have Adam’s and Eve’s — XY and XX. Homosexual intercourse would not be enough - XY and XY. Lucifer, at a minimum, would need XX to make his new creatures more like him than the image of God. He was about to create a new image.

  Scripture hit the nail squarely on the head:

² That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose… 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Gen 6:2,4)

  With “marriage” unholy matrimony would create new beings, half angelic and half human. However, Satan’s dark angels would be the source of further Y; YY + XX > XXYY which does not exist, but XYY does. That would be the best that Lucifer could do. It is not to imply that those with YY-DNA are any eviler that those with XX or XY, but rather that all have sinned, and all have the some XY-Chromosomes. Perhaps Lucifer’s one-third angels were deviated by sin. Perhaps rather than YY, since they also were created by God, that the angels with fidelity were YY and the infidel ones were contaminated by Lucifer as well. Perhaps fallen angels have XXYY, which in that case: XYY + XX > XYY.

  Of course, this is all speculation, but it must be admitted that it makes sense since that there are no human beings with pure YY-chromosomes in the world — in physical existence.

  Let me speculate further: Noah and the sons of Noah would all have Seth’s DNA and Seth’s would be Adam’s and Eve’s. Hence the males would be XY and the females XX, but only the male line was Noah’s. His seed, or DNA, on the Ark would all be XY since they were Seth’s line.

  It is not known for certain whose DNA the women carried, but based on the Book of Adam and Eve, the women aboard carried Cain’s DNA. Cain, according to the book, the Cave of Treasures, had Satan in him. Surely, the women carried more of Lucifer’s DNA than Seth’s line. In other words, sin made its way across the deluge because of the women aboard.

  The flood did not baptize the sin of Adam away, but made it more dominant! Since, sin is the dominant gene and as all have sinned and missed the mark — God’s original DNA generated in Adam. Regeneration is not the beginning of salvation, but the start with rebirth. Everyone is born with Satan’s chromosomes and are sinners, but in the end, Satan will die and his DNA with it.

  Regeneration should be complete when Satan is dead, and Christians obtain new, glorious flesh with no Y-chromosomes at all. In fact, just as scripture indicates, Christians will become like the angels but with their own XX chromosomes. Since the dark angels will be thrown into the fiery pit, then only XX-will exist, and thusly, there will be no reproduction, and no need for marriage, in the heavenly realm.

  DNA is found in the hair. Samson was born in sin but without sin since he was a Nazarite. So long as he did not cut his hair, he was “glorious,” not that he was feminine, but that he was extraordinary. Perhaps Samson had XYY-chromosomes and his hair manifested it! What characteristic do those of XYY have? It is in only males and affected individuals are very tall (National Organization for Rare Disorders). Note what NORD wrote: 

Results in an average height of about 6 feet, 3 inches by adulthood…  Fertility and sexual development are normal. Besides the potential for increased height, most affected individuals typically have a normal physical appearance… In some cases, affected individuals develop behavioral problems such as an explosive temper, hyperactivity, impulsivity, defiant actions, or, in some cases, antisocial behavior. (NORD)

  Does that not describe Samson before his hair was cut? He seemed to disregard normal behavior and did things aggressively and against his nature. His YY chromosomes seemed to be concentrated in his hair and used for strength and for God’s purposes for him. I believe that Jesus was also a Nazarite, but that his strength was in virtue and peace rather than violence. Since Jesus was the Son of Man and the Son of God, his DNA would have been earthly, XY through Mary, and Godly, YY-DNA through God, or XYYY Or if combined XYY — the Son of Man and the Son of God.

  When men are glorified, their DNA will be as the DNA in the hair of women, and that is with glorious hair!

  It now makes sense: "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour" (Psalm 8:5). Jesus is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. His DNA is XY through Mary, a combination of her XX and God's supernatural YY. But angels were created YY, and XY is lower than that since man is on Earth of earth and Jesus is the Son of Man, His "glory" was in His hair as Samson's but the Resurrection made him fully glorious. 

  Being different than angels, women and glorified men will become perhaps all XX and YY in heaven, It sure is fun to speculate on how God worked His Plan!

  This commentary will continue with the affects of Abraham on the DNA of mankind.

---

[1] See my book, On the Origin of Man and the Universe, available of Amazon.

(picture credit: Trend Spotter)

GENDER ROLE CONFUSION AND RADICAL FEMINISM

  Feminism started with equal pay for equal work. That is not a bad idea, and few will argue with that at the present. However, radical women did not stop there; they not only wanted to be paid as men, but viewed as men, and now they seem to want to be as gods. Whatever “rule” that radical women make, they demand it be the law. Radical feminism has also invaded the Church.
  Let’s call that type of extremism, “radical feminism” although it is no longer radical but prevalent. Rational feminist notions of fairness are not included in this commentary.  This commentary also uses God’s Word as evidence. Of course, radical feminists cannot accept God’s Word because they must refute it to maintain their self-view. I maintained that they have become “like God” (Gen 3:4) because their ideology supersedes the Doctrine of Christ. Rejecting God’s precepts elevates the women and diminishes God; that is opposite of rebirth (John 3:5). Radical Feminism, therefore, is a re-death; a repeat of Eve’s sin.
  The first act of radical feminism was Eve’s communing with the Evil One. Why was that wrong? Adam and Eve were to have dominion over the animals (Gen 1:28), but Eve allowed the Serpent to have dominion over her. Eve was created to be Adam’s helper (Gen 2:18). Eve approached the Serpent before Adam. She didn’t help Adam, but diminished him.
  What should Eve had done at a minimum? Allow Adam to confront the Serpent. Adam named the beasts; he knew them, but Eve did not. She didn’t ask, “Why are you speaking, snake?” or even, “Who made you ruler of God’s tree?” As such, Eve was the first true radical feminist (for a short interval), and was also the first woman.  She was of man, but not man. That was her place. Radical feminism has taken on the notion that they are like men. Why else for the support of lesbianism and androgyny, let alone transgenderism. Those are all ideas of normalcy for radical feminists. From whom do they obtain such foolish notions? From the Wisdom Tree – what Jews call the Tree of Knowledge. The problem with Eve was that she already knew “good,” but the Serpent added “evil” to her body of knowledge.
  Radical feminists support the notion of how they esteem themselves by Lilith. In scripture, Lilith (lilītu) is called a “screech owl” or “night creature,” (depending on version) for lack of a better word (Isa 34:18).  Ancient Jewish mystics “created” two Creation stories from Genesis chapters one and two. Of course, one is a summary, and two is the detail, for one Creation, as scripture often is repeated in the Torah.
  Mankind created Lilith. She was a rebellious “she-devil” who tried to rule over Adam, and because he would not let her, she became independent of his authority and left. Isaiah wrote that “she found her rest” (ibid). I submit that she did not because Lilith to this day stirs up trouble, even though she does not really exist. Jill Hammer writes, “Lilith is often envisioned as a dangerous demon of the night, who is sexually wanton, and who steals babies in the darkness” (Lilith; Lady Flying in Darkness). Thus, fictional Lilith is the epitome of radical feminism and is the goddess of abortion. She was the first fictional feminist, and the very idea of “feminism” is fictional. The word “feminist” is oxymoronic in that radical feminism is women trying to be as men!

KEY VERSES: Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him (1:12). “What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs” (1:15)? For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath (1:17-18)… that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she (1:19b). He will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire… “all wives will honor their husbands, both great and small” (1:20b), (and) that each man should be master in his own house (1:21b). (Esth 1)

  Compliant Esther (compliant to God’s Law) replaced independent minded Queen Vashti who diminished the king and elevated herself! King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) dismissed his rebellious queen and chose one who would assist him in ruling, which Esther did. Her attitude, though, was godly whereas Vashti’s was defiant of the king. Esther became the wife of Xerxes as Eve eventually became the helper to Adam. Vashti’s attitude was as “the lady of the night” and perhaps her doppleganger was as well – the demon Lilith.
  Vashti means “beautiful woman” (Abarim Publications). Of course, if Lilith was a demon, created in the beginning, as Eve, she would have at first been “very good.” She would have been a compliant angel until she rebelled with Lucifer. Modern women are overly concerned with beauty, and they even allow themselves to be exploited as beautiful women. Feminists seem to take no issue with advertisers making them rich “queens” for their beauty! Vashti was known for her beauty, to such an extent that the king wanted to show her off to his court. One account (Wikipedia) says that,  “the angel Gabriel came and ‘fixed a tail on her.’" That may mean that she had an appendage like a man’s. Perhaps she was acting the part of an androgynous man, or may have been a transsexual. There is no mention in extant history of a “Queen Vashti.” Perhaps she was not really a “queen” but a tranny of the court. Is that notion so ridiculous when we see them flaunting their aberrations to this day?
  Vashti is another icon of the radical feminists. Why? Because she refused to comply with her husband’s wishes and his authority as king. All that Xerxes wanted to do is to show-off her beauty, and she even refused to do that. It seems that since she disappeared from history that she went the way of Lilith!
  As the key verses show, Vashti broke the law of the Medes and Persians as well as God’s precepts. Obedience of women to men has always been natural and Judeo-Christian precepts. Of course, wicked men often used women as servants and slaves, and not helpers as they were designed to be, but that was a consequence of original sin. That does not make it right, and Christian men will honor the original Plan invoked by God!
  It was pointed out to the king that if that rebellion went without consequences, “The queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes.” That is what has happened. The right to vote was acceptable and honorable. The genders were to help each other in the decision-making. Equal pay is acceptable because it helps the finances of the family. However, how does abortion assist the man” How does lesbianism help the man? and How does transgenderism help anyone? Radical feminism is not helping at all; it even hinders God, normalcy, and the family. It is behavior much as in the days of Moses which will come with the Apocalypse (Luke 17:26)!
  What hurt the most was the command that, “All wives will honor their husbands, both great and small.” That was to be the law of the Medes and Persians, but that too was God’s idea in the first place. Some examples from scripture to support that follows:

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. (Prov 12:4; NKJV)

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands… (1 Pet 3:1-22)

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Col 3:18)

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (Prov 31:10-12)

And so train the young women to love their husbands and children. (Tit 2:4)

  Where, within all those passages, does it transmit the message for women to be the same as or dominate the men? Of course, the answer is, “nowhere.” Adam allowed Eve to dominate. As such, Adam was the first “meninist,” or wus. After God punished the two by assigning their roles, their gender roles were quite well defined. (See Gen 3). Women are meant to be women, give birth, nourish, and complement the husband, and Adam (man) was to do the hard work. The two together are to be a team with God as Captain! The male is the principle gender and the woman his helper… but God is their Comforter. Holy matrimony is between male and female, and if Vashti was a transgender man, then the marriage was not meant to be. Neither was it meant to be since she acted the part of the man. Vashti, if nothing else, had a case of gender-role confusion and was an early radical feminist!
  Christian men and women must know their roles and be those. Men are to be men, and women real women. All those other gender-confused roles are ungodly and abominable. There shall be a consequence for rejecting God’s Plan for us.

(The use of the following picture is meant only to show the affects of radical feminism, and is not to imply anything as to sexuality or life-style.)

Rachel Maddow (credit: pininterest)

Marriage Vows: My First Marriage Dedication

 (The marriage procession enters.)

(All facing the audience – pair’s hands not joined)


Today, we come to together join together in marriage Her Full Name to His Full Name.

Who gives away the bride?


(Father and mother say they do; father prays and they seat themselves)

(Personal comments)


There are two kinds of marriage: matrimony – without God, and Holy Matrimony – under God.

 The Holy part in marriage makes a special event, even more special. Scripture says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”  ( 1 Peter 1:15-17).


Holy matrimony is for peculiar people; it is reserved for children of God. I have counseled with Her Name and His Name, and it is their decision, not only to be married, but joined together in Holy Matrimony.


“Holy” is being worthy of complete devotion. As you both enter into this union, enter it as worthy of your complete devotion to each other… and to God. Marriage under God is a holy triangulation – two dependent people under One Almighty God.


Holy matrimony is intended to be an everlasting union. Jesus told the people: “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 19:4-5).


Part of the ceremony of marriage is the separation from the parents. His Name and Her Name, your gain is their loss. Let us take a moment to honor the parents: (Mention them by name.)  In a way, we join together two families here today, and as they multiply you two families will become more and more one!


(Face me)

Please join hands.  (Holding hands)

Each of you were separate yesterday, but with this bond, you become one today. You are no longer to think as two because shortly you will be in unity.


Remember from scripture: “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:21-22).


Woman was taken from the side of man, and Holy Matrimony returns her to his side. You, Her Name, belong at the side of your own Adam. Holy matrimony is taking two people which God created, and making them one again.  His Name, you are her Adam. Always be there for her. Her Name, you are his Eve. Be at his side.


The purpose of marriage is three-fold. Let us examine them:


“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ ”  (Gen 2:18).

 Remember His Name, she is for you; to be your companion, not your servant. Her Name, you are to honor him.


You are to be friends, and friends are forever! Companionship, love, and multiplication is oneness:

Also, be one in your love for God: Be faithful to Him and God will be faithful to you.

Be one in your time: Do things together, and your love will grow.

Spend your time wisely: in devotion to God, to each other, and no other. Marriage is a partnership of two. Let no third person share the unity reserved for the two.

Pray together: Pray that your worlds won’t collide, and they won’t. You each bring a world into this marriage. You have individual interests, beliefs, hobbies, skills, doctrines, families, likes and dislikes.  Pray that your differences are never a source of contention, but that where you are alike will overcome the differences.


Marriage is much like a rose bush. What you see now are the roses. (Hold up roses). Someday, although the roses are still there, the thorns will reveal themselves. Good marriages avoid the thorns but some will still prick both of you as the roses become less obvious (Hold up rose bush). Marriage vows are for your protection; as you view and smell the aroma of the roses, the wedding vows – promises – are like gloves which make the thorns less thorny. Never let the roses fade, and never handle the thorns without remembering the vows. (Hold up the roses again.)


Love together: Love each other and God. Do you Her Name profess your love for His Name? (wait for affirmation). His Name, do you profess your love for Her Name? (wait for affirmation)

Love God by respecting Him for your life, your happiness, and your salvation. Marriage becomes your life, your joy, and in those elderly years – your salvation.


At this moment, you both testify to your love. What you are experiencing is emotional love. In times of conflict, those emotions will change in the heat of the moment. During those trying times, always remember – love is also a command.  Work hard to maintain your love, and you will endure. Scripture speaks of love:


“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).


That’s how we are to love God, and how you are to love each other.


You see, Holy Matrimony is a picture of our marriage to God. When you joined together with Jesus, you both – Her Name and His Name - are the bride, and Jesus is the bridegroom.  As brides to Jesus, He expects two things: love and fidelity. God is a jealous God. Those who fornicate with other gods hurt Him deeply. Jesus expects fidelity when Christians unite with Him. Likewise, because marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ, each of you must remain true to each other.  When Jesus was taken to the cross by the unfaithful, He collided with the world, and it darkened. Never let your worlds collide!


As Jesus desires our time with Him, honor each other with your time. Treat each other as if each day is your last. Marriage is a commitment to work hard because marriage is indeed hard work.  Love hard in good times, and work hard in tough times.


Be one together: Play together, fellowship together, go to church together, take care of you finances together, and even vote together. Being one requires sacrifice. Sacrifice together!


Marriage is a combination of erotic love, brotherly love, familial love and the love of God.  Your love will be easier when there is love for God.  Love of the flesh is for the special moments. The others are to endure forever.

When Jesus was born, wise men from the East brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were gifts the Father sent to the Church to present His bride – Jesus Christ.  Long before, ancient writings tell us the story of the first wedding:

… God sent His angel who had brought gold, and the angel who had brought incense, and the angel who had brought myrrh to Adam, that they should inform him respecting his wedding to Eve. 4 Then those angels said to Adam, "Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and betroth her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be ye, thou and she, one flesh."  Adam hearkened to the angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve's bosom in her garment; and betrothed her with his hand. (1Bk of Adam & Eve: 73:3-50).

What did the three gifts mean? 

AFTER these things God said unto Adam, "Thou didst ask of Me something from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given thee these three tokens as a consolation to thee; that thou trust in Me and in My covenant with thee.  "For I will come and save thee; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death. "But, O Adam, put these by thee in the cave; the gold that it may shed light over thee by night; the incense, that thou smell its sweet savour; and the myrrh, to comfort thee in thy sorrow." (1 Adam & Eve 31:1-3)


These are God’s gift for your own marriage – a marriage as in the image of God to the Church.

Firstly, we present the gold. As gold represents God’s Kingdom, let it also represent your marriage in His Kingdom. The wedding ring is a symbol of enduring love. Marriage is meant forever. Today, you pledge with the rings to be eternally joined.


The wedding ring is an emblem of love through time, a symbol of devotion, and an agreement between two parties to love and cherish each other for the rest of their days. Wedding rings are circular in shape, and this in itself carries a symbolic meaning for the couple getting married. A circle has no beginning or end, and is therefore a symbol of infinity.  It is endless and eternal - just the way love should be. For many, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is because the vein in this finger was believed to lead directly to the wearer's heart. When these rings are placed on your fingers, Her Name and His Name, it is a symbol of your endless, heartfelt love.


Who bears these rings?

(The rings are presented - groom’s to bride and brides to groom).

(Bride places the ring on the groom’s finger).


His Name; Repeat after me (one phrase at a time):

"I, His Full Name, take you, Her Full Name, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."

Her Name, repeat after me (one phrase at a time):

(Groom places the ring on the bride's finger).

"I, Her Full Name, take you, , His Full Name, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth." 


Let us anoint this marriage. First, I take this frankincense. It represents Jesus’s Divinity. Let this marriage have divine protection (apply oil to the palm below the ring finger on first the groom, then the bride).


Now I take this myrrh in hand. It represents God’s suffering and death. Let this marriage endure unto death for that is God’s joy. (apply the myrrh in the same manner to the groom then the bride).


(face the audience)

His Name’s help-mate is now at his side. They are in unity. The thoughts, emotions, and ambitions of each are to be one. They have pledged themselves to each other until death.  They have been anointed so God can Comfort them in their trying times. Reilly and Jesse, I now pronounce you man and wife.


His name, you may kiss the bride.

Let me present to you Mr. and Mrs. His Full Name.

(Bride and groom hold hands and march out followed by the bridesmaids and grooms as before.)