God’s primary purpose of marriage is to image forth Christ’s marriage to the church (the bride of Christ) (Eph. 5:32). That’s why everything we see as it pertains to marriage falls within this paradigm. God hates divorce – Malachi 2:16 – why? Because Jesus would never divorce His church and the church would never divorce Jesus. Couples are “one flesh” in marriage, why? Because we are one in union with Christ. Men lead their wives, how? Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” Wives follow their husbands, why? Ephesians 5:24, “But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” Why no adultery? Would we cheat on Christ by running after other gods? Why no fornication? Do we share intimacy with Christ before we come to Him in spiritual marriage? Why no polygamy or homosexuality? Because marriage reflects the union between Christ and the church – one man, one woman. In a nutshell, our marriages are to show the world the Gospel. When people observe our loving and committed relationships, they are to see Jesus and the church.

Randy Smith

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains, Meats, Dairy		Bacon, Beans/legum, Recipes fro, Side dishes	1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2	lb	Yellow-eye beans
1/4	lb	Lean salt pork — sliced
1	md	Onion — peeled
2	ts	Salt
1/2	c	Maple syrup
1	ts	Dry mustard
1/2	c	Cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Cover beans with water, bring to a boil, set aside for an hour. Drain. Add
fresh water and simmer until just tender. Drain, reserving bean liquor. Put
whole onion and half of salt pork in large bean pot. Mix syrup, mustard and
salt with hot liquor to cover beans, top with remaining por. Cover and bake
for 6-8 hours at 275&deg;, adding hot bean liquor as needed, to cover beans.
Uncover and top with cream for last hour.
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #157
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 21:04:01 -0400
From: bobbi744@sojourn.com (Roberta Banghart)
Recipe By     : Virginia Rich, The Baked Bean Supper Murders

A Message from our Provider:

“It will work out perfectly – if you let Jesus take control”

Saving faith is not a decision that is made, and it is not a mouthing of a certain formula. Even if the formula is recited in prayer, this is not saving faith. Manipulating a person to say go through certain motions and say certain words does him no good whatever. This is not saving faith. This is dangerous indeed. Can a man really be saved by saying 'yes' to a series of questions? Have we done them any favor by allowing them to think so? This is a misunderstanding of saving faith. It is a confusion of professed faith with true saving faith. This mistake has resulted in the unprecedented number of false converts which this century of evangelism has produced. Decisions and numbers there are, but the 'converts' are notoriously unconverted. This is a direct result of confusing decisions with true faith, and it is a blight on the church. It is also inevitable. And it is shameful. And it is harmful, for we have convinced unconverted people that they are safe.

Fred Zaspel