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should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine linen is
the righteousness of saints. And he
saith unto me, Write, Blessed are
they which are called unto the mar–
riage supper of the Lamb" (verses
8-9).
So the greatest love story ever
told is not Romeo and Juliet , Anto–
ny and Cleopatra, not even Isaac
and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel,
Ruth or Esther.
lt
is not any of the
marriages of Henry VIII or of
Napoleon and Josephine.
The greatest of all love stories
started so very long ago and is con–
tinuing today. The true Church of
God is still in the process of prepar–
ing herself for that glorious wed–
ding.
On a charging white horse the
Son of God will descend in the
most magnificent wedding proces–
sional of all time.
Commit men t the Key
The purpose of this article is not
just to tell a nice love story. ft 's
much deeper than that.
It is to show you by Jesus
Christ's personal example, the most
important key to your happiness in
marriage-cOMMITMENT.
In today's "modern" world,
tbousands enter into marriage with
tbe philosopby " if it doesn't work,
we'll divorce and try again witb
someone else."
The results of this philosophy
have been disastrous. In the
United States more than one mar–
riage in three ends in divorce. In
most major U.S. cities there are
as many divorce cases filed as
applications for marriage. And
other nations are rapidly copying
tbe U.S. exarnple.
In many cases those who divorce
and remarry turn and divorce again
in a constant cycle of ..marriage–
go-rounds."
As a minister on a college cam–
pus 1 have counseled with many
hundreds of students and have per–
formed more than a bundred mar–
riages over tbe past 23 years. 1
would like to say not one single
marriage 1 performed has ended in
divorce- but that wouldn't be
true.
Many of those couples have kept
in touch over the years. They send
pictures of their babies and share
34
their joys and sometimes tbeir sor–
rows in letters or phone calls. A
large percentage of them have hap–
py marriages.
But not all.
1 have helped a few through the
shock and sadness of divorce. On
rare occasions, a couple on the
verge of divorce have seen how to
forgive and lave again and have
successfully put a marriage back
togetber.
The one common ingredient l
bave found in every successful mar–
riage has proved to be commit–
ment.
Successful marriage requires
hard work- from botb partners–
faithfulness, love, forgiveness and
commitment.
Every marriage counselor would
lave to find tbe magic formula that
would solve all marriage problems.
But alas, tbere is no such magic
available.
In this life none of us will ever
achieve the total love and commit–
ment Jesus Christ has for the
Church. But with his example to
follow we can come a clase sec–
ond.
Jesus Cbrist has known the hurt
and sorrow of divorce. And he has
shown the patience, commitment
and lave necessary to have a happy
marriage.
Tbe opposite example is often
found among tbe ricb and famous
of this world. Very few of them
have anytbing to offer as examples
of happy rnarriages. Instead , many
popular personalities have only
sorrow and divorce to hold up as
illustrations of their life-styles.
Oil billionaire
J.
Paul Getty
once said after severa! unsuccess–
ful and unhappy marriages, " l
would trade all my wealth for just
one happy marriage." His money
could not huy commitment and
happiness. There is no greater joy
possible in this physical life than
the love and sbaring of a bappy
marriage.
Perhaps the greatest lave story
ever told can serve as a personal
example for you to be as committed
in your marriage as Jesus Christ
was, is and always will be in bis
marriage relationsbip.
Maybe the second greatest love
story ever told will be–
YOURS!
O
Why the Church?
(Continued from page 9)
of the kingdom shall be preached
in aH the world for a
witness
unto
all nations; and then sball the end
come" (Matt. 24:14).
Somewhere on earth, just befare
Jesus' Second Coming, bis ser–
vants are going to be announcing
with increasing power the message
of the coming world-ruling king–
dom of God! A kingdom is a
gov–
ernment- and
from one end of the
Bible to the otber the message of
God is about his coming govern–
ment that will replace the govern–
ments of this world and will rule
forever (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 11:15,
etc.).
J esus tells those in his Church,
" He that overcometh, and keepeth
my works unto the end, to him will
J
give POWER
over the nations:
and he shall RULE them with a rod
of iron ..." (Rev. 2:26-27).
Again, where spi rit-being elders
in heaven rejoice in song concern–
ing the future role of Christians,
they say, "And hast made them
(Christians] unto our God kings
and priests: and they shall REIGN
on the earth" (Rev. 5: 1O, original
Greek text). Notice tbat Christ
and those in this age wbom be has
called to spiritual understanding
will rule
"on the earth"-NOT
up
in ..heaven"!
This vibrant message of God's
soon-coming world ruling oov–
ERNMENT is NOT announced to
convert everyone now, but as a
witness so that men will under–
stand when it does occur.
And through his Church, God is
training thousands of men and
women in lessons of character and
obedience so tbey may be ready to
serve under the living Cbrist when
he returns as King of kings. ..Do
ye not know that the
saints
sball
JUDGE
the world?
and if tbe world
shall be judged by you, are ye
unworthy to judge the smallest
matters? Know ye not tbat
we
sha/1 judge
ANGELS? how much
more things that pertain to tbis
life?" (1 Cor. 6:2-3.)
To rule others, one must first
learn to rule oneself. God's
govern–
ment
is based upon his spi ritual
law- the Ten Commandments. So
that
is why God says of the true
The PLAIN TRUTH