TWO FUNERALS = ONE WEDDING

Two Funerals Equals One Wedding
by Keith Giles

This week I fly to Seattle, Washington to perform a wedding service for two friends of mine from Soul Survivor. Because of this I've been thinking a lot lately about weddings and I've discovered something pretty amazing; Marriage is God's idea.

It was God who saw that Adam was alone and concluded that it "was not good for man to be alone". This is why He created woman, from Man's own flesh, to be as near to him, and as dear to him, as his own soul. "She is flesh of my flesh," said Adam, "And bone of my bone".

From the beginning of mankind, Man and Woman have been "Man and Wife". The first miracle performed by Jesus in His Earthly ministry was at a wedding. He gave everyone there the gift of wine; a symbol of gladness and celebration and joy. God, it would seem, loves a party. And He loves to join together two hearts so that they beat as One.

The Scriptures speak of marriage as a metaphor for God's love for us, His Bride. It was God's idea to use Marriage as a Metaphor for His love for us.

Mingled together in the mystery of love, we have a picture of God, a love-struck Groom, sacrificing everything He has, even His own life, to win the heart of His beloved; His Bride...you and I.

When Paul talks about love in 1 Corinthians 13, he's describing something that is not selfish. I believe that you can't ever hope to love like that as long as you're in a state of looking after your own needs. If you're selfish you'll never be someone who "keeps no record of wrongs", etc.

This means you have to die to yourself if you hope to put someone else's needs above your own. This concept is all through Scripture, and Marriage is a wonderful way to practice this Kingdom value.

Both people in a marriage have to die to their selfish desires and hopes and appetites and, instead, learn to focus on the needs of their spouse.

So, a marriage that embodies the love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13 is made up of two people who have both died to themselves in order to live as "one flesh".

And at the end of Time, when all is said and done, God's plan is to bring each of us, His Beloved; His Bride; to His Home, where we will be the guest of honor, and we will feast and celebrate together at the Ultimate Marriage; the Wedding of the Lamb of God to the Bride of Christ; and there will be wine, and dancing, and rejoicing for all Eternity...and a lot of Kosher food I'm sure.

God loves a party, especially one that celebrates the union of two souls into One.
One day we will be the guests of honor in God's house, and we will eat from His table and celebrate forever the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

He smiles on the joining of two lives into One. The Angels rejoice with all of us, as we look forward to "That Day" when our Groom arrives, the Son of God, to take us away where we can also be with Him and be One.

Blessings,
Keith
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