Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Hello friends!, we missed getting a newsletter out in March, that’s how busy the month was for us – but we’re making up it, starting right now. For these next few months we will be focusing primarily on our July national conference, so let’s dive right in.
Our first National Biblical Families Teaching Conference and Fellowship Retreat is coming together better than we could dare hope. Here’s what you need to know: The primary days for the conference will be Friday-Sunday (all day), July 1st-3rd. However, there will also be events on Thursday, June 30th, and on July 4th. On the 30th, we expect to do a special leadership symposium on the state of biblical marriage in America – that all adults are welcome to join, this should be a great time of sharing ideas. If you are able to attend all 5 days, we think you’ll find yourself very blessed. If you can only make the weekend, that’s fine, but you will miss some great sessions! Our problem now is trying to find time to squeeze in every session we want to have, and still have time for fellowship, because we find ourselves blessed with a great group of teachers. Here are the speakers who are intending to speak at this conference, Lord-willing:
1) Theologian and author William F. Luck – if you were at the retreat in January, you know what a blessing it was to hear him
2) Author Tom Shipley, who gave us Man and Woman in Biblical Law
3) Our own Pastor ‘Doc’ Burkhart
4) Biblical Families staff member and author Dr K.R. Allen
5) Pastor John Whitten, our staff shepherd and West Coast representative
6) Dr Marvin George
And that’s just what we can announce at this time, we may be adding a speaker or two! We will be doing some panel discussions, which should be very interesting. But don’t forget the fellowship that is of prime importance to all of us – of course, we will have plenty of time for that over the extended schedule. Our location is reserved, and we will be sending out details on the retreat next week – you MUST request this info, by dropping an email to retreats@biblicalfamilies.org. Do it now, if you haven’t. Note that our location is actually in North Carolina, north of Asheville, but only about 10 miles from Tennessee – and a high enough elevation (3000’) to be very comfortable. It’s a great spot for kids (as long as they don’t wonder off in the woods!), and has camping, cabin, and hotel-style options, and regular motels close by for those who prefer that. Also, we will be planning some organized youth activities, and we will have a separate room for the children.
We are very excited by this ‘first’ conference, though we pray it won’t be the last. It will clearly be the largest event we’ve ever held. You’ll hear more on this conference as we plan the schedule over the coming 3 months. Plan to join us, and be blessed!
Other retreat news: We enjoyed a small West-coast retreat (16 adults) in Sacramento a few weeks ago, with Pastor John and Dr KR Allen teaching: someday the West coast may rival the East coast Biblical Families contingent – but not this year! You may listen to 3 messages from this retreat here (scroll down to “Retreat Session Audio”)
Please read on for some thoughts by staff members on the upcoming conference, and on the major problem troubling marriages today:
Progress in the Practicals of Faith
Have you ever noticed the gleam in the eye of a grandparent when they see their grandchild or great grandchild accomplish some milestone of life? Parents and grandparents often find great joy in knowing their younger loved ones are gaining ground in life’s journey. It can be an exhilarating breath of fresh air for them to see the labors of love of their past paying off in the present.
Likewise, this July, families associated with Biblical Families will gather at a national retreat to celebrate together in the grace and glory of God. Much progress is being made in the lives of many and this July will be a time for you to either come again or come the first time and see the progress being made in the Biblical Families movement. You’ll be blessed and touched by the many lives and testimonies at this retreat.
But, you ask, why should you take the time to attend one of these retreats? First, by your attendance you can be that person or family that encourages another dear saint on in their faith. The Bible is full of teachings on encouragement (see Rom. 1:12). To encourage another saint in their faith can make a great difference in their present day life but even more so in the lives of many in the future. What if by your presence you touch the lives of one family which in turn sets them on a stronger faith journey that touches the lives of their children and grandchildren? What if by your presence God uses you to help a hurting family, a struggling family, or a broken family to be strengthened in the faith and from that many generations are blessed because of that family’s survival? Only God knows what and how he might use you to touch the lives of another saint.
Second, how about the blessing you might receive by the numerous teachers that will be present at this large National retreat? This July some very solid teachers of the faith will gather together to offer some of the most practical, biblical, and wholesome teaching on what is a Biblical Family and how to practically live out your faith in a culture that currently has yet to openly receive those who understand the doctrine of the family.
At this National retreat there will be an emphasis on the “How Tos,” of living a life devoted to building a biblical family. You’ll receive some teaching on how to associate with believers and church leaders that do not understand you, how to plan on pursuing this lifestyle, how to avoid common pitfalls that destroy families, how to function within the legal parameters to give your family the best opportunity of success, and many more practical how to sessions that could strengthen you and your family for many years to come.
Third, and one of the most important reasons for attending a retreat is that at these retreats we have seen the Holy Spirit magnify himself in wonderful ways. Many have come to a retreat and by the presence and power of the Spirit they and their family have been changed forever. Many people have struggled, prayed, and begged God to help them as they have come to this new perspective on life. Yet by their testimony it was by meeting with the Spirit at a retreat that God set them free from something that was holding them back. It is like Zechariah says, “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” (Zech 4:6). For some they have been fighting, trying with all of their might to grasp and believe yet still falling short. Yet at these retreats you’ll meet the Spirit in a new and special way and as so many have seen before, it is in these moments where some of those old chains of bondage are broken and empowerment for a new day begin.
The Biblical Families movement is a miraculous movement of God that is incrementally changing the way families, churches, and even communities will do “business.” Come, join in with us for the first time or again and experience the fellowship, warmth, and grace the Lord as you participate in the 4th Reformation movement within God’s overall historical plan for his body.
Dr. K.R. Allen
The Real Cause Of Marital Conflict For Christians
There are volumes of information written about marriage and family available to us in libraries and online. It seems marital problems are the subject of more books, articles, symposiums, forums and counseling sessions than just about anything else these days. Perhaps this is so because marital problems are epidemic among us. I would expect this to be so among unbelievers, but Christians could be expected to be in the minority. We who know Christ Jesus as Savior have access to the peace and power of God. His blessing should make us exempt from the marital problems the world experiences. Why then do professing Christians have a divorce rate that comes close to equaling that of the world? Why the proliferation of Christian marriage counselors? Why are so many still single in our churches or more correctly, why are there so many single Christians staying away from church?
I am sure it would be foolish of us to deny the obvious, that is, that Christians are having marital problems on the same level and the same issues as the rest of our world. What could be the cause of this epidemic? Is God not able to come through with His promises for peace, power and blessing? It is guaranteed that God has not failed in even one of His promises. Is it His design of marriage that is failing in our modern culture? Hardly! God is the creator, not only of the world, but also people and the institution of marriage and family. I maintain that the cause of the epidemic of marital problems that plagues Christians in the western culture (including the USA & Canada) is our failure to heed God’s design for marriage and His instruction manual, for successful operation in our piece of Heaven on Earth, the Christian home.
The problems have been ammunition for preachers and counselors for decades. We have all heard the blame placed on the invasiveness of our culture and worldliness into the churches. We have heard weak pulpits blamed for weak marriages. Even television, movies and music have been identified as the culprits. There is blame aplenty to pass around, but when the dust settles from the blame game, one thing is certain, the appointment of blame does not solve the problem. Whatever blame we choose to appoint, we must recognize that the enemy of God and His institution cannot occupy territory that is firmly established as the Kingdom of God. We, the subjects of the Kingdom of the Most High, must lower the standard of righteousness to enable the enemy to gain a foothold and to expand his territory into the realm that belongs to God. This lowering of the standard, the Banner of the Cross of Christ Jesus, is the cause of marital conflict among Christians. This paper will deal with the first aspect of our dilemma, Deviating From His Design.
Deviating From His Design
God’s design for marriage is crystal clear throughout Scripture. God and all His work is marked by order, structure and peace. Therefore, we may well expect Biblical marriage to be marked with the same identifiers. When marriages of Christians are marked by strife, discord, anger and bitterness, without evidence of rectifying the problems, we may honestly say, “someone has deviated from God’s design.”
What is God’s design? His design is not that espoused by today’s world. Truly, the worlds accepted design is not working for them; or for the Christians that are mimicking the world’s design, instead of embracing God’s design. God designed marriage to replicate His relationship with His people. In His design, all parties are equal, but the roles they play are not the same, though they are equal in value. The world has attempted to thwart the glory of God by destroying this image of His relationship with His people and unfortunately, too many Christians are participating in the enemies program. God’s design is what we call a “patriarchal” family. That is a family where the husband and father is the leader, ruler and final authority in the family, similar to, but without the perfection of God as the ruler in His family of believers. Our world culture denies the authority of God and therefore must deny the authority of husbands in the families. Husbands are being emasculated by our culture, and by churches and leaders that have espoused the world’s design of marriage. When they are man enough to stand up for God’s design and attempt to embrace it, such men are attacked on every side, by friend and foe alike. This attacking virtually assures that few men will be the man God designed them to be.
The role that God designed for women in the family is that which replicates the people of God in relationship to Him. In our relationship to God we are submitted to His leadership based upon His authority. In a similar fashion in God’s design for marriage women are to be submitted to the authority of the husband. Such a submitted relationship does not detract from a woman’s personal worth or ability, but rather focuses on relationship and order. Every organism of God’s creation has only one head. Any organism or family that has two heads is a mutation and cannot function according to God’s design. God has placed the man as the head in marital relationship and authority, (see I Corinthians 11). That deviation in design that places the wife as the head of the family is called a “matriarchal” family. This is contrary to God’s design. He has His reasons for His design and whatever they are is not open for editing by His people, neither are those reasons part of this discussion. A family that has husband and wife sharing leadership equally is called an “egalitarian” family and also not of God’s design.
The effect Of Deviating From God’s Design
The chaos experienced in Christian marriages, after the honeymoon has worn off is evidence of deviation from God’s design. We have men and women trying to operate on an even platform of authority, creating a two-headed, non-functioning monster. As a result neither the man nor the woman are satisfied or effective in their role in the family. Confusion and chaos is evidenced by the high divorce rate and the number of married people turning to counselors for a solution to the faulty marital structure. Unfortunately, most counselors operate from a worldly point of view and a humanistic foundation. What results from this deviated design is conflict between husbands and wives, each blaming the other for the problem. It becomes a “he said – she said” situation. Usually, the resulting strife continues unabated until one surrenders out of weariness, not rightness. When one does not surrender, then separation is usually the consequence, ultimately played out in divorce court. The resulting bitterness, frustration and anger give an unpleasant image to the world, of the relationship between God and His people. Truly, this grieves God’s holy and gracious Spirit. Tragically, this resultant chaos and unsavory life experience is usually passed on to the next generation to repair or re-enact.
Remedy For The Deviated Design
The remedy is available from God, who is the original designer and restorer of marriage. The remedy begins with Repentance, an often-misunderstood word. Repentance is not about feeling, but feelings of a broad spectrum may accompany repentance. Repentance is essentially recognizing that there is a problem (in this case, a deviation from God’s design for marriage) and then stopping further practice of the deviation, with a turning back to God’s original design. Restoration begins with the application of God’s truth in the marriage. The next and perhaps most significant step is to eliminate the conflict between the spouses by removing the irritation factor of the blame game. This is possible because the issues are not about conflict between the spouses, but rather about the lack of conformity of the husband to God’s role for him in the marriage AND the wife’s lack of conformity to God’s role for her in the marriage. We generally blame each other when our marriages suffer chaos and confusion, when it is really due to the deviation from God’s design for marriage. We pick at and fuss with our spouse because he/she is not making us happy, when we should really, take the issue up with God. After all, marriage is His idea and design. Rather than accusing each other of not being what he/she should be, we will profit greatly by focusing on our own role in the marriage and leave the spouse to God to repair. The questions we benefit from asking are, “Am I being the husband/wife I could be by God’s design?” Am I conformed to God’s design for a husband or wife? When we practice the role God assigned us in His design for marriage, we free God up to repair our spouse, by getting out of His way and stop being a source of irritation to our spouse. We are not the primary source for happiness to our spouse, God is. If we attempt to be the primary source for happiness to our spouse, we are usurping the place in his/her heart that God has reserved for Himself. If we expect our spouse to provide us with a primary source for happiness, we deny God His rightful role in our lives and create an emotional bottomless pit that no man or woman can fill. Every man and every woman MUST answer to God first and foremost for what manner of husband or wife we are. He is our Authority for marital operation, because He is the creator of and designer of the same.
If we refuse to fulfill God’s design for us in marriage, do not expect our spouse to take up the slack for our happiness. We cannot expect wedded bliss when we have altered God’s design for marriage. God will not bless corruption, but He will bless obedience to His will. The real cause of marital conflict is either a husband or a wife being disobedient to God, altering His design for marriage and substituting the world’s design. This action is in essence, IDOLATRY!
Pastor John Whitten
Hello friends!, we missed getting a newsletter out in March, that’s how busy the month was for us – but we’re making up it, starting right now. For these next few months we will be focusing primarily on our July national conference, so let’s dive right in.
Our first National Biblical Families Teaching Conference and Fellowship Retreat is coming together better than we could dare hope. Here’s what you need to know: The primary days for the conference will be Friday-Sunday (all day), July 1st-3rd. However, there will also be events on Thursday, June 30th, and on July 4th. On the 30th, we expect to do a special leadership symposium on the state of biblical marriage in America – that all adults are welcome to join, this should be a great time of sharing ideas. If you are able to attend all 5 days, we think you’ll find yourself very blessed. If you can only make the weekend, that’s fine, but you will miss some great sessions! Our problem now is trying to find time to squeeze in every session we want to have, and still have time for fellowship, because we find ourselves blessed with a great group of teachers. Here are the speakers who are intending to speak at this conference, Lord-willing:
1) Theologian and author William F. Luck – if you were at the retreat in January, you know what a blessing it was to hear him
2) Author Tom Shipley, who gave us Man and Woman in Biblical Law
3) Our own Pastor ‘Doc’ Burkhart
4) Biblical Families staff member and author Dr K.R. Allen
5) Pastor John Whitten, our staff shepherd and West Coast representative
6) Dr Marvin George
And that’s just what we can announce at this time, we may be adding a speaker or two! We will be doing some panel discussions, which should be very interesting. But don’t forget the fellowship that is of prime importance to all of us – of course, we will have plenty of time for that over the extended schedule. Our location is reserved, and we will be sending out details on the retreat next week – you MUST request this info, by dropping an email to retreats@biblicalfamilies.org. Do it now, if you haven’t. Note that our location is actually in North Carolina, north of Asheville, but only about 10 miles from Tennessee – and a high enough elevation (3000’) to be very comfortable. It’s a great spot for kids (as long as they don’t wonder off in the woods!), and has camping, cabin, and hotel-style options, and regular motels close by for those who prefer that. Also, we will be planning some organized youth activities, and we will have a separate room for the children.
We are very excited by this ‘first’ conference, though we pray it won’t be the last. It will clearly be the largest event we’ve ever held. You’ll hear more on this conference as we plan the schedule over the coming 3 months. Plan to join us, and be blessed!
Other retreat news: We enjoyed a small West-coast retreat (16 adults) in Sacramento a few weeks ago, with Pastor John and Dr KR Allen teaching: someday the West coast may rival the East coast Biblical Families contingent – but not this year! You may listen to 3 messages from this retreat here (scroll down to “Retreat Session Audio”)
Please read on for some thoughts by staff members on the upcoming conference, and on the major problem troubling marriages today:
Progress in the Practicals of Faith
Have you ever noticed the gleam in the eye of a grandparent when they see their grandchild or great grandchild accomplish some milestone of life? Parents and grandparents often find great joy in knowing their younger loved ones are gaining ground in life’s journey. It can be an exhilarating breath of fresh air for them to see the labors of love of their past paying off in the present.
Likewise, this July, families associated with Biblical Families will gather at a national retreat to celebrate together in the grace and glory of God. Much progress is being made in the lives of many and this July will be a time for you to either come again or come the first time and see the progress being made in the Biblical Families movement. You’ll be blessed and touched by the many lives and testimonies at this retreat.
But, you ask, why should you take the time to attend one of these retreats? First, by your attendance you can be that person or family that encourages another dear saint on in their faith. The Bible is full of teachings on encouragement (see Rom. 1:12). To encourage another saint in their faith can make a great difference in their present day life but even more so in the lives of many in the future. What if by your presence you touch the lives of one family which in turn sets them on a stronger faith journey that touches the lives of their children and grandchildren? What if by your presence God uses you to help a hurting family, a struggling family, or a broken family to be strengthened in the faith and from that many generations are blessed because of that family’s survival? Only God knows what and how he might use you to touch the lives of another saint.
Second, how about the blessing you might receive by the numerous teachers that will be present at this large National retreat? This July some very solid teachers of the faith will gather together to offer some of the most practical, biblical, and wholesome teaching on what is a Biblical Family and how to practically live out your faith in a culture that currently has yet to openly receive those who understand the doctrine of the family.
At this National retreat there will be an emphasis on the “How Tos,” of living a life devoted to building a biblical family. You’ll receive some teaching on how to associate with believers and church leaders that do not understand you, how to plan on pursuing this lifestyle, how to avoid common pitfalls that destroy families, how to function within the legal parameters to give your family the best opportunity of success, and many more practical how to sessions that could strengthen you and your family for many years to come.
Third, and one of the most important reasons for attending a retreat is that at these retreats we have seen the Holy Spirit magnify himself in wonderful ways. Many have come to a retreat and by the presence and power of the Spirit they and their family have been changed forever. Many people have struggled, prayed, and begged God to help them as they have come to this new perspective on life. Yet by their testimony it was by meeting with the Spirit at a retreat that God set them free from something that was holding them back. It is like Zechariah says, “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” (Zech 4:6). For some they have been fighting, trying with all of their might to grasp and believe yet still falling short. Yet at these retreats you’ll meet the Spirit in a new and special way and as so many have seen before, it is in these moments where some of those old chains of bondage are broken and empowerment for a new day begin.
The Biblical Families movement is a miraculous movement of God that is incrementally changing the way families, churches, and even communities will do “business.” Come, join in with us for the first time or again and experience the fellowship, warmth, and grace the Lord as you participate in the 4th Reformation movement within God’s overall historical plan for his body.
Dr. K.R. Allen
The Real Cause Of Marital Conflict For Christians
There are volumes of information written about marriage and family available to us in libraries and online. It seems marital problems are the subject of more books, articles, symposiums, forums and counseling sessions than just about anything else these days. Perhaps this is so because marital problems are epidemic among us. I would expect this to be so among unbelievers, but Christians could be expected to be in the minority. We who know Christ Jesus as Savior have access to the peace and power of God. His blessing should make us exempt from the marital problems the world experiences. Why then do professing Christians have a divorce rate that comes close to equaling that of the world? Why the proliferation of Christian marriage counselors? Why are so many still single in our churches or more correctly, why are there so many single Christians staying away from church?
I am sure it would be foolish of us to deny the obvious, that is, that Christians are having marital problems on the same level and the same issues as the rest of our world. What could be the cause of this epidemic? Is God not able to come through with His promises for peace, power and blessing? It is guaranteed that God has not failed in even one of His promises. Is it His design of marriage that is failing in our modern culture? Hardly! God is the creator, not only of the world, but also people and the institution of marriage and family. I maintain that the cause of the epidemic of marital problems that plagues Christians in the western culture (including the USA & Canada) is our failure to heed God’s design for marriage and His instruction manual, for successful operation in our piece of Heaven on Earth, the Christian home.
The problems have been ammunition for preachers and counselors for decades. We have all heard the blame placed on the invasiveness of our culture and worldliness into the churches. We have heard weak pulpits blamed for weak marriages. Even television, movies and music have been identified as the culprits. There is blame aplenty to pass around, but when the dust settles from the blame game, one thing is certain, the appointment of blame does not solve the problem. Whatever blame we choose to appoint, we must recognize that the enemy of God and His institution cannot occupy territory that is firmly established as the Kingdom of God. We, the subjects of the Kingdom of the Most High, must lower the standard of righteousness to enable the enemy to gain a foothold and to expand his territory into the realm that belongs to God. This lowering of the standard, the Banner of the Cross of Christ Jesus, is the cause of marital conflict among Christians. This paper will deal with the first aspect of our dilemma, Deviating From His Design.
Deviating From His Design
God’s design for marriage is crystal clear throughout Scripture. God and all His work is marked by order, structure and peace. Therefore, we may well expect Biblical marriage to be marked with the same identifiers. When marriages of Christians are marked by strife, discord, anger and bitterness, without evidence of rectifying the problems, we may honestly say, “someone has deviated from God’s design.”
What is God’s design? His design is not that espoused by today’s world. Truly, the worlds accepted design is not working for them; or for the Christians that are mimicking the world’s design, instead of embracing God’s design. God designed marriage to replicate His relationship with His people. In His design, all parties are equal, but the roles they play are not the same, though they are equal in value. The world has attempted to thwart the glory of God by destroying this image of His relationship with His people and unfortunately, too many Christians are participating in the enemies program. God’s design is what we call a “patriarchal” family. That is a family where the husband and father is the leader, ruler and final authority in the family, similar to, but without the perfection of God as the ruler in His family of believers. Our world culture denies the authority of God and therefore must deny the authority of husbands in the families. Husbands are being emasculated by our culture, and by churches and leaders that have espoused the world’s design of marriage. When they are man enough to stand up for God’s design and attempt to embrace it, such men are attacked on every side, by friend and foe alike. This attacking virtually assures that few men will be the man God designed them to be.
The role that God designed for women in the family is that which replicates the people of God in relationship to Him. In our relationship to God we are submitted to His leadership based upon His authority. In a similar fashion in God’s design for marriage women are to be submitted to the authority of the husband. Such a submitted relationship does not detract from a woman’s personal worth or ability, but rather focuses on relationship and order. Every organism of God’s creation has only one head. Any organism or family that has two heads is a mutation and cannot function according to God’s design. God has placed the man as the head in marital relationship and authority, (see I Corinthians 11). That deviation in design that places the wife as the head of the family is called a “matriarchal” family. This is contrary to God’s design. He has His reasons for His design and whatever they are is not open for editing by His people, neither are those reasons part of this discussion. A family that has husband and wife sharing leadership equally is called an “egalitarian” family and also not of God’s design.
The effect Of Deviating From God’s Design
The chaos experienced in Christian marriages, after the honeymoon has worn off is evidence of deviation from God’s design. We have men and women trying to operate on an even platform of authority, creating a two-headed, non-functioning monster. As a result neither the man nor the woman are satisfied or effective in their role in the family. Confusion and chaos is evidenced by the high divorce rate and the number of married people turning to counselors for a solution to the faulty marital structure. Unfortunately, most counselors operate from a worldly point of view and a humanistic foundation. What results from this deviated design is conflict between husbands and wives, each blaming the other for the problem. It becomes a “he said – she said” situation. Usually, the resulting strife continues unabated until one surrenders out of weariness, not rightness. When one does not surrender, then separation is usually the consequence, ultimately played out in divorce court. The resulting bitterness, frustration and anger give an unpleasant image to the world, of the relationship between God and His people. Truly, this grieves God’s holy and gracious Spirit. Tragically, this resultant chaos and unsavory life experience is usually passed on to the next generation to repair or re-enact.
Remedy For The Deviated Design
The remedy is available from God, who is the original designer and restorer of marriage. The remedy begins with Repentance, an often-misunderstood word. Repentance is not about feeling, but feelings of a broad spectrum may accompany repentance. Repentance is essentially recognizing that there is a problem (in this case, a deviation from God’s design for marriage) and then stopping further practice of the deviation, with a turning back to God’s original design. Restoration begins with the application of God’s truth in the marriage. The next and perhaps most significant step is to eliminate the conflict between the spouses by removing the irritation factor of the blame game. This is possible because the issues are not about conflict between the spouses, but rather about the lack of conformity of the husband to God’s role for him in the marriage AND the wife’s lack of conformity to God’s role for her in the marriage. We generally blame each other when our marriages suffer chaos and confusion, when it is really due to the deviation from God’s design for marriage. We pick at and fuss with our spouse because he/she is not making us happy, when we should really, take the issue up with God. After all, marriage is His idea and design. Rather than accusing each other of not being what he/she should be, we will profit greatly by focusing on our own role in the marriage and leave the spouse to God to repair. The questions we benefit from asking are, “Am I being the husband/wife I could be by God’s design?” Am I conformed to God’s design for a husband or wife? When we practice the role God assigned us in His design for marriage, we free God up to repair our spouse, by getting out of His way and stop being a source of irritation to our spouse. We are not the primary source for happiness to our spouse, God is. If we attempt to be the primary source for happiness to our spouse, we are usurping the place in his/her heart that God has reserved for Himself. If we expect our spouse to provide us with a primary source for happiness, we deny God His rightful role in our lives and create an emotional bottomless pit that no man or woman can fill. Every man and every woman MUST answer to God first and foremost for what manner of husband or wife we are. He is our Authority for marital operation, because He is the creator of and designer of the same.
If we refuse to fulfill God’s design for us in marriage, do not expect our spouse to take up the slack for our happiness. We cannot expect wedded bliss when we have altered God’s design for marriage. God will not bless corruption, but He will bless obedience to His will. The real cause of marital conflict is either a husband or a wife being disobedient to God, altering His design for marriage and substituting the world’s design. This action is in essence, IDOLATRY!
Pastor John Whitten