THE AWESOME MARRIAGE COVENANT!
Peggy Kannaday 

A Three-Fold Cord is Not Easily Broken! 
(1789 words)

Why is marriage and the family under a tremendous assault throughout the world? The enemy knows that marriage and the resulting family unit are the building blocks of the society and also the Church. 

He knows that when he can destroy this unit; he has knocked a hole in the foundation of that particular family, community or local body of believers. He knows that the dire consequences of a broken marriage are the broken lives that have been torn apart and the children whose lives will never be the same.

Statistically most of these children never come up to their peers' attainments, as their stability and family unit has been destroyed. These children suffer feelings of acute rejection and insecurity which lead to complex emotional, spiritual and psychological difficulties. 

Why is it that today (according to some
statistics), the Christian divorce rate is on a par in the U.S. with the non-Christian community? 

The building blocks of our future (society and church) are being dismantled (one-by-one). There is a widespread mentality that has even infiltrated the church that when a marriage becomes too difficult; we just abandon that marriage and go on to the next. 

The old saying that the grass is greener on the other side is a myth. Statistics tell us that the 2nd and 3rd marriages are greater failures than the first marriages. 

Who do you think is behind this new thinking on marriage? Why do the facts scream out alarmingly to the contrary concerning the results of a broken home? We must get back to the truth--back to the marriage covenant that God ordained. We are not to lean on our own understanding.

We can see the results of taking the marriage covenant lightly in the U.S. The total break-down in our homes, as every strata of society has been detrimentally effected. 

How do we combat this insidious plot to destroy the very fabric of our security and our lives? We must be aware of the lies of the enemy, who comes to steal, kill and destroy our marriages and our families. 

Any voice (from whatever the source) that
says "give-up", or "you can be treated so much better by someone else and on and on ad
infinitum". Precious saint of God, please become aware of the true origin of that kind of subtle coercion. 

Why does the enemy hate the marriage covenant? It is not only the life-blood of our church and society, but it was ordained by God to symbolize our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. It is at the heart of our spiritual lives upon this earth and (if we 
are Christians); it is the essence of everything that we believe. 

Jesus Christ is our bridegroom, our head, and our Lord. His love for us is demonstrated by His sacrificial death on the cross to make propitiation for our sins.

This same type of love is set forth in Ephesians 5:25 for the earthly husband to love his wife even as Christ loved the church and gave His life for it. 

Even as the church (the Body of Christ responds to Christ's love; even so the wife is to respond to the love of her husband. These vows must be renewed daily even as our commitment to the Lord should be new every day leaving no room for the enemy or the flesh to gain a foothold. 

I know of a practicing divorce attorney, who was spoken to by the Lord to never again advocate in a divorce case. He was told by the Lord that, "there was no such thing as a hopeless marriage".

After this the attorney used his position to pray for and to counsel those in need, and God intervened and restored countless seemingly hopeless marriages that otherwise would have been victories for the enemy. 

Let's all learn this same lesson; we must be advocates and counselors for God and not for the enemy. 

As ministers of God, we should teach the husband to love his wife and the wife to reverence her husband, both treating each other according to the Biblical mandates. 

Another couple were in a seemingly "hopeless" marriage, where they hated each other and were both unfaithful to the other partner. Christian friends were interceding for them, and now this couple are born-again Christians. They are ministers and intercessors for those who desire to have their marriages healed.

This couple learned that whenever they had a disagreement; they would call "time-out" for prayer, and they called into their marriage the 3rd party to their covenant, the Lord Himself. 

Yes, without this 3rd party being the head of your home, your home can fall, but with Him as the chief cornerstone, your house will never fall. 

The lie that any marriage is an expendable commodity can only be overcome by the Truth. The Truth states in Eph. 5:21-33 that marriage is a reflection of the holy alliance between Christ and His Bride (the church). 

The gates of hell cannot prevail against the marriage (with the Lord as head), that is kept in purity, faithfulness and unity. This covenant is sacred and the resultant partnership can grow into a maturity that can bring forth such fruitfulness that satan trembles at the 
very thought of its potential and glorious overcoming power. 

I do not believe that we have even begun to tap the resources available to those who through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in love, devotion, intercession and faith begin to embrace this powerful covenant, second only to our glorious blood covenant with our Lord and King. 

For those who are single; I would admonish you to prayerfully consider your marriage partner, as the enemy has side-tracked many a potentially fruitful life by sending a counterfeit partner, but even then, God's love, grace, mercy and forgiveness can overcome these circumstances. 

Please do not consider marrying an unbeliever as we do not know how long it could take or even if the unbeliever will become a Christian. What fellowship does light have with darkness, and I know of countless light/dark marriages that are in a total state of despair for the believing spouse. 

Obedience to the Lord's commandment is always the safest and best way, especially for something as important as marriage. 

If you are now single, remember that the Lord is your husband at this time, and be content, and if He has someone for you, then He will show you, but place this area of your life in God's able hands through prayer, and you will save yourself many unnecessary troubles. 

The awesome power inherent in the God-ordained marriage covenant has become obscured, stolen and has even been destroyed totally in some cases. Praise God, this covenant is about to be
resurrected and restored out of its dark tomb and into His glorious light.

The shroud of misinformation, lies and deception is being laid aside, and the shining garment of His Truth, Way and Life concerning marriage is about to be revealed in all its majesty. 

A new revelation about the power of this love 
relationship is to be birthed, and brought into its fruition and maturity in these last days. 

When the marriage partnership is healed and restored, then the family relationships will automatically become healthy. The same way as with the church, when our relationship with our head is right, then we will love one another in the body and be able to "get along" with one another as the true "family of God".

The ultimate objective of a healthy, restored marriage is not to just have a great marriage for our own sakes (although this would follow), but it is in order to fulfill the purposes of God for which this covenant was ordained.

When the Lord is the 3rd party and Head, this new 
entity becomes a mini-church which no power on earth or even the gates of hell can prevail against. It is at that time that a God-ordained marriage covenant cannot be broken or harmed by any outside force. 

When the two marriage partners become one flesh, and the Lord is their Head, directing their prayers and paths; it is an unbeatable combination. The marriage and family become a dynamic tool in the hands of an all-powerful God. 

It is unique, unified, mobile, pliable and strong. It is not only a building block for others to build upon, but it is a fine-tuned instrument to defeat the forces of darkness and bring in the purposes of God in these last days. 

This 3-fold relationship with the Lord as head takes on a new identity and character. In Deuteronomy 32:30, we find that when 2 become one; it gives them supernatural and multiplied ten-fold power. When the Lord is the 3rd party and Head, this new entity becomes a mini- church which no power on earth or even the gates of hell can prevail against. It is at that time that a God-ordained marriage covenant cannot be broken or harmed by any outside force. 

The only way it could be broken or harmed would be when one or the other spouse "gives up" and either quits or loses his or her commitment to the covenant. Only when the covenant is
deliberately broken, is it in jeopardy. 

That is why the enemy of our souls is constantly trying to get one or the other spouse to relinquish their covenant agreement and to default. We must be aware of his schemes and the reason behind the constant bombardment and attacks against marriage. He knows the 
potential damage to his ungodly purposes that a true unbroken marriage covenant can attain.

We must come into the God-ordained marriage covenant in order to combat the wiles of the devil in these last days. We must surrender our lives and marriages to the Head (the Lord), and He will be able to restore everything in our marriage and family that the enemy has tried to steal, kill and destroy. 

He can restore your first love for Him and for each other, making your marriage new and fresh. He can make your 3-fold relationship with Himself as Head, the most dynamic, fulfilling and glorious experience that few have ever known. 

This God-ordained, 3-fold relationship is truly made in heaven, and it can create heaven right here on earth for those who will come into this type of marriage covenant. A new life, marriage, family and experience is waiting for those who will dare to make their marriages all that the Lord predestined them to be. He is waiting to help you; just open the doors of your heart and let Him show you the Way.