Marriage ...in Spirit & in Truth

By Adebayo Adeyokunnu and Margaret Adeyokunnu

This book is written with a view to situate marriage in the light within which it was ordained, highlight and proffer solutions to the regular and hidden problems, oil wheels of troubled marriages, and set the foundation right for singles and courting couples so that they may know the bliss of this beautiful institution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483548500

Book preview

Published by:

SHILOH MINISTRIES

…books that build

Maryland, U.S.A.

© 2013 by Shiloh Ministries

Third Edition 2013

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 0000-0001-00987

Design & production:

DesignFortune

www.designFortune.com

Editorial work/Proofreading:

Tomide Osuntokun

[e-mail]

All Bible quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Kings James version.

All rights reserved. With the exception of brief excerpts used for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission from the author.

ISBN 0-9746364-3-6

ISBN: 9781483548500

To contact the author, please write to:

Pastor Bayo Adeyokunnu

The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Temple

13701 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD 20720

Tel: [phone]

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated first to our sister and spiritual mother, Pastor (Mrs.) Foluke Adeboye, the wife of the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide; she has been a sister, a good example of a dedicated and devoted wife and a mother indeed.

We also dedicate this book to those couples who have presented their marriage or will present their marriage to the Lord as a holy institution and are committed to fulfilling this marriage ministry successfully to the glory of God on earth. We know the Lord will bless and strengthen your every effort.

Pastors Bayo and Margaret Adeyokunnu - 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1. Walking in Spirit and Truth

Chapter 2. The Marriage God Ordained

Chapter 3. Christian Courtship

Chapter 4. Fornication

Chapter 5. Love and Submission

Chapter 6. Sex in Marriage

Chapter 7. Compatibility and Roles

Chapter 8. Housekeeping

Chapter 9. Commitment

Chapter 10. Communication

Chapter 11. In-Law Relationship

Chapter 12. The Prayer Altar

Chapter 13. Separation, Divorce and Widowhood

Chapter 14. Godly Seed

Chapter 15. What God Did Not Ordain

Chapter 16. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Index

Notes

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

My deepest gratitude goes to God from whom all blessings flow. My wife and I thank God for His grace, His mercy, His gift of revelation and understanding: His strength when we err, His guiding hands that cause us to see, experience, learn, and the victory to testify about it all.

My thanks go to my General Overseer and Mentor, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, for setting godly examples at home and in ministry, which we, who are his children in the Lord, continually see and choose to follow.

I thank my wife, Margaret: a co-author of this book, whose patience and love have proven that virtuous women can still be found. Also, I thank my godly children, Dotun, Damilola and Bukola for allowing us to do what God has called us to do. May the Almighty bless you and may you fulfill your destinies.

Thanks to the members of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Temple, Laurel and Bowie, for supporting this project. Your expectations in God will not be cut off, in Jesus' name.

Bayo Adeyokunnu

Chapter 1

Walking in Spirit and Truth

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

(Matthew 19:4-6)

If a survey asked everyone the same question, What is marriage? you might be surprised that as common as marriage is in every culture, the answers would be very different; not in the modalities, but in the doctrinal aspects.

Marriage is a covenant, recognized in the laws of heaven and earth, thereby affecting every human being created by God. Belief in God is not required to enforce marriage as a law. God has embedded this knowledge as a spiritual law within the spirit of man. The judge of this law is the soul and spirit of mankind, which bears witness to all wrong- or right-doings of anyone.

Today's society has changed many fundamentals of marriage and of how God ordained the institution. Somehow, many have managed to devise their own concept of what marriage is, and because they refuse to follow the guidelines of God, their lives and marriages have metamorphosed into chaos, confusion, pain, and torment for all concerned including the children.

There is, therefore, a need for right and truthful God-ordained information, that will clarify and align issues to bring unity, understanding, and correction to the body of Christ. We, as the children of God, should not become victims of the judgment of God because of lack of knowledge, stubbornness, and unwillingness to obey God.

Believe in God and in the truth of His word.

Walking in Spirit and Truth

Once a person becomes a child of God, God expects the local pastor to teach every believer the foundational doctrines about Jesus and how to live within the codes of God's law. The information received should transform anyone to reflect the image of God, to acquire the abilities to walk in the spirit, and gain knowledge in God's truth.

Christianity means to be Christ-like. It also means to be tuned to mind renewal, a change of character, and a right way of thinking, so that you will act and think as God originally ordained when He made mankind in His image.

Christianity should transform anyone to reflect the image of God, acquire the abilities to walk in the spirit, and gain knowledge in God's truth.

A person can attend church every day and yet not have a teachable spirit. The church is not a social center or an entertainment place. Many come to church without any definite change in them, whereas Christianity is about change. Change from unrighteousness to righteousness, from failure to success, from poverty to wealth, from ungodliness to godliness, and from sin to holiness.

Many believe and say, What goes on behind the locked doors of any marriage is not the church's business. This is not true. The family unit makes up the church body. The church must then teach truthful guidelines according to the word of God, on every area of life, and marriage is part of that. Every individual has the choice to obey or disregard the information taught. God is the judge; not mankind, not the church, and definitely not the pastor.

Marriage in any culture has been corrupted, and the sad part is that the church today has embraced the corrupt practices. Now, only those who are bold