I am aware many readers may have questions about how come the name "Aquila and Priscilla" is the title of this post, somewhat out of curiosity or just for the sake of information. This post will thoroughly explain the 'whys' and also shed light on the marriage pattern outlined by Aquila and Priscilla and the purpose of studying their marriage as an example of the ideal.
The name Aquila and Priscilla first occurred in books of Acts of the Apostle (Acts 18:2) and the scripture focus of this name mention was to highlight the exemplary marriage of this couple and serve as a guide for intending couples on how they to prepare for the marriage institution so as to have a happy and God-centered relationship, courtship and marriage.
Let us kick off this discussion with a critical examination of their names because it carries lots of information for us.
The interpretation of Aquila's name as 'Eagle' and Priscilla's name as 'Ancient' connotes how marriage, as an 'ancient' institution created by the Ancient of days, requires the combination of strength from strength and this is why God likened them to eagles, yet, there is need for ' eagles' to be cautioned by the author of the marriage institution who is the" Ancient one" (Isaiah 40:30-31) hence the need for this piece.
This couple modeled their marriage pattern after God's word and become a model that anyone who desires a godly home can emulate. They are the picture of a home ruled by God, a Jewish Christian deeply loyal to their faith. Little wonder they became friends and ministerial companions to Paul.
We will further discuss their marriage on a clearer pedestal.
GIVEN FOR THE CAUSE THE GOSPEL
Aquila and Priscilla showed how married partners ought to be given to the cause of the gospel by being so helpful in the ministry of Apostle Paul. This they did by being there always for the Apostle in the work of expansion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It clearly shows that they were lovers of God both in words and deeds unlike many married Christian folks today who do not engage their faith with corresponding actions.
Apostle Peter and James warn that we must be people who love God and given to the course of the gospel both in words and in deeds, and our faith, love, and pursuit of God must not be void actions. As couples, we must be given totally to and for the course of the gospel just as Aquila and Priscilla showed to us and the intending couple must take note to do the same.
Friday, 24 April 2020
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
The image in your heart
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF AN IDEAL MARRIAGE?
Every young person, both male, and female desires to have a sweet heaven-on-earth family someday; one in which they will find peace, love, and support and one in which their marital fantasies will be fulfilled.
In fact, it will be very difficult to find a young person, a lady especially, who does not have a rundown picture of what they have imagined being the perfect marriage, starting from the physique of their partner to his/her societal influence and bank account down to the perfect wedding dress accessories, the glamorous event, and cozy honeymoon. Magnificent desires!
Yet, sharply against these dreams are fantasies are the realities of the present-day marriage, as remains of the marriage we now have today in our society and contrary to the pictured desires of God-the master planner of marriage.
Our society is densely filled with lots of marriage challenges (that seems to have found a backdoor entry into a heartfelt desire) ranging from divorce and heartbreak to depression and we can continue to count on and on what could have gone wrong, picking from inadequate preparation before marriage, courtship disorientation and a mistake or some erratic behaviors condoned by either couple during courtship, all of which later became a cankerworm in marriage.
Others failed in marriage as a result of who they modeled their marriage after.
Ladies who grew up under the roof of behaviorally weak parents and graduated to marriage will definitely manifest a sub-standard marital lifestyle as a result of their weak upbringing.
In most cases, such ladies become authoritative, domineering, and disrespectful against the submitted and loving wife they ought to be in the original blueprint for an ideal marriage.
The same goes for the men who had witnessed, time without number, their fathers shout on their mums, beat her or destroy properties, they tend to also repeat the same behavioral patterns when they get married.
And sometimes, these characters or attitudes are inculcated by young people consciously or unconsciously due to the compelling environmental influence around them.
ALL MARRIAGE ARE ALL A REPRODUCTION OF THE IMAGE
This is why you must be careful who model your life after a young person, do not model your life primarily on parents lifestyle in marriage, no matter how good but on word of God.
Then if your parents are proven as good, nice, and wonderful and their character is worth emulating, you can also learn from them.
WHAT IS THE IMAGE IN YOUR HEART?
While Moses was up on the mount to receive the ten commandments which were to be written on the table of stones from the Lord, he tarried in coming down from the mountain, then the children of Isreal could not wait any longer, they inquired Aaron to make for them the God they will serve since they have no idea of Moses' fate on the mountain.
Pressured Aaron then instructed them to gather unto him their earrings and gold chains which he used to make a golden calf for the Israelites to worship (Exodus32:1-6).
Studying this part of the word of God, the lesson for me and you here is that image of God in the heart of Aaron all alone was that of a 'calf'. In all his worship and devotions to God, he could only picture what we have in our hearts when challenges, trouble, and problems arise.
You must watch out for the image of marriage you are conforming to. Is it the image of the type of the marriage between Christ and the church as extensively explained by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:22-33 or that of the world, which concludes marriage to marrying, having a car five-bedroom flat and some money in the bank account while also controlling or maltreating your partner, engaging in an extra-marital relationship, belonging to an occult group or your reduction of marriage to have a very beautiful woman as a wife?
The bible tells us that as you think in your heart, so you are. (Proverbs 23:7) your thoughts are very powerful, and it affects your actions and establishes happening around you. This is why there is a need to conform yourself to the right image of marriage and life, rather than preoccupying your mind with all sorts of the ill image of life and marriage present in the world, those worldly images do not produce right fruits in the long run but sorrow, what comes out of us richly ( Colossians 3:16), just like a sponge soaked in water, to a point where whenever anything whatsoever touches us, what comes out of us is the word of God and not anything else.
Never carry the image of what your mummy, daddy, friends, and associate says ad the ideal kind of marriage, but go to that which is outlined in the word of God. And as you do this you will see what will accrue to you, your life and marriage just as i have experienced in my marriage and ministry, as confirmed in Joshua 1:8 be a doer and a conformist to the word of God and not to the wishes or standard of the world around you and you will discover an ideal and happy and lovely marriage. (Romans 12:1-2)
Every young person, both male, and female desires to have a sweet heaven-on-earth family someday; one in which they will find peace, love, and support and one in which their marital fantasies will be fulfilled.
In fact, it will be very difficult to find a young person, a lady especially, who does not have a rundown picture of what they have imagined being the perfect marriage, starting from the physique of their partner to his/her societal influence and bank account down to the perfect wedding dress accessories, the glamorous event, and cozy honeymoon. Magnificent desires!
Yet, sharply against these dreams are fantasies are the realities of the present-day marriage, as remains of the marriage we now have today in our society and contrary to the pictured desires of God-the master planner of marriage.
Our society is densely filled with lots of marriage challenges (that seems to have found a backdoor entry into a heartfelt desire) ranging from divorce and heartbreak to depression and we can continue to count on and on what could have gone wrong, picking from inadequate preparation before marriage, courtship disorientation and a mistake or some erratic behaviors condoned by either couple during courtship, all of which later became a cankerworm in marriage.
Others failed in marriage as a result of who they modeled their marriage after.
Ladies who grew up under the roof of behaviorally weak parents and graduated to marriage will definitely manifest a sub-standard marital lifestyle as a result of their weak upbringing.
In most cases, such ladies become authoritative, domineering, and disrespectful against the submitted and loving wife they ought to be in the original blueprint for an ideal marriage.
The same goes for the men who had witnessed, time without number, their fathers shout on their mums, beat her or destroy properties, they tend to also repeat the same behavioral patterns when they get married.
And sometimes, these characters or attitudes are inculcated by young people consciously or unconsciously due to the compelling environmental influence around them.
ALL MARRIAGE ARE ALL A REPRODUCTION OF THE IMAGE
This is why you must be careful who model your life after a young person, do not model your life primarily on parents lifestyle in marriage, no matter how good but on word of God.
Then if your parents are proven as good, nice, and wonderful and their character is worth emulating, you can also learn from them.
WHAT IS THE IMAGE IN YOUR HEART?
While Moses was up on the mount to receive the ten commandments which were to be written on the table of stones from the Lord, he tarried in coming down from the mountain, then the children of Isreal could not wait any longer, they inquired Aaron to make for them the God they will serve since they have no idea of Moses' fate on the mountain.
Pressured Aaron then instructed them to gather unto him their earrings and gold chains which he used to make a golden calf for the Israelites to worship (Exodus32:1-6).
Studying this part of the word of God, the lesson for me and you here is that image of God in the heart of Aaron all alone was that of a 'calf'. In all his worship and devotions to God, he could only picture what we have in our hearts when challenges, trouble, and problems arise.
You must watch out for the image of marriage you are conforming to. Is it the image of the type of the marriage between Christ and the church as extensively explained by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:22-33 or that of the world, which concludes marriage to marrying, having a car five-bedroom flat and some money in the bank account while also controlling or maltreating your partner, engaging in an extra-marital relationship, belonging to an occult group or your reduction of marriage to have a very beautiful woman as a wife?
The bible tells us that as you think in your heart, so you are. (Proverbs 23:7) your thoughts are very powerful, and it affects your actions and establishes happening around you. This is why there is a need to conform yourself to the right image of marriage and life, rather than preoccupying your mind with all sorts of the ill image of life and marriage present in the world, those worldly images do not produce right fruits in the long run but sorrow, what comes out of us richly ( Colossians 3:16), just like a sponge soaked in water, to a point where whenever anything whatsoever touches us, what comes out of us is the word of God and not anything else.
Never carry the image of what your mummy, daddy, friends, and associate says ad the ideal kind of marriage, but go to that which is outlined in the word of God. And as you do this you will see what will accrue to you, your life and marriage just as i have experienced in my marriage and ministry, as confirmed in Joshua 1:8 be a doer and a conformist to the word of God and not to the wishes or standard of the world around you and you will discover an ideal and happy and lovely marriage. (Romans 12:1-2)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)