God's Love: Marriage Ceremony

A new family that has been contacted through door-knocking, and in whose home we have been enjoying a home meeting for months now, need special attention in regard to the marriage of the son. All that I know is that they got married legally at the court of law and the family wanted a special meeting of prayer and celebration. Through the shepherding of the church here in Gurugram, they have come into the church life and started attending the Lord's table meeting. 

Last Lord's day, a brother and I were invited to attend their family gathering hosted with the burden of the son and daughter-in-law's wedding ceremony. We fellowshipped, prayed, and felt good to attend and help them in whatever way we could as cherishing and nourishing to the entire family. 

As we arrived at the venue in Noida, we were welcomed by the family, and the father and aunty fellowshipped with me the tentative proceedings of the meeting. Since nothing was formally planned for the meeting, we worked it out in fellowship. The Lord led us, and the meeting was blessed with the word of God to the entire family.

Two main messages, though short, were released. One, related to what marriage is according to the Bible and its purpose. This was released by my brother. And I released my burden on God's love. 

The strongest and best relationship between husband and wife is that of love. But not merely human love, but God's divine love. No human life can love without the divine love within that human love. Human love has terms and conditions, and perhaps, warranty and guarantee. But all these will fail one day, if not for God's love covering the marriage. My burden was released in twofold. 

First, the husband and wife should love one another. But that love must be of God. They both should and must love God, and with the love of God, love one another. 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. 

Second, my burden was also for the family, the majority of whom are not yet regenerated by believing into the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I began with the new commandment God gave to man to love one another.

John 13:34-35A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another. 

And I further expounded that God is love, and only with the love of God, we can love one another. Therefore, I preached the gospel of the love of God. "In this, the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him. Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins." I also encouraged the entire family to believe into the Lord Jesus if they have not yet. "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God."

With the word of God ministered, we prayed for the newly wedded couple and joined them in the feast that followed. The father and mother, and the husband and wife, were so thankful that at such a crucial phase of their life, the Lord introduced them to the church. We hope and pray that the Lord would continue to shepherd them and make them all pillars to bear the Lord's testimony in Gurugram.

May God bless the couple, and the family!

1 John 4:7-21Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been begotten of God and knows God. He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him. Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God has loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit. And we have beheld and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. And we know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. In this has love been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of the judgment because even as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has punishment, and he who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God love his brother also.