Hello to all our dear brethren and members of the MCGI, Brother Eli and Brother Daniel have been helping us understand God's words and how to live the right way. They continue to teach us, and it's made our faith grow stronger. It's also brought us closer together as members of MCGI. I'd now like to take the opportunity to share my reflection on their teachings in today's mass Indoctrination.
Overview:
- What the husband and wife should do during a time of Prayer
- The biblical Fasting and it's benefits to us
- How the woman should dress according to the bible
- How the man should treat his wife
- How the wife should treat his husband
- The Covering of the Hair
- The children of the righteous couple.
Brother Eli Soriano:
Our Dear brother continued to teach us on the issue of prayer what we ought to do for an effective and biblical prayer life. Today we concentrated on the Husband and the wife and how God expects them to live and behave for their prayers to be heard and answered.
1 Corinthians 7:4-5 KJV
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. [5] Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
We realized how sensitive prayer is and the fact that even if you are a couple you would have to abstain from sex during a period of fasting and prayers. If the husband and wife will fast and pray they must practice control of their body. The bible also makes us to understand that the woman or man should not deny their spouse from their body without consent or else Satan can take advantage of that to tempt one of them to sin.
The biblical Fasting and it's benefits:
Fasting as we learnt is a special way of asking from God. Fasting must be done with prayer. Prayer coupled with fasting has great power. Fasting is an act that should be done with prayer.
Isaiah 58:6-8 KJV
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [7] Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [8] Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
We saw from the scripture above a few things we must do during a period of fasting
- Staying away from sin and evil vices (bands of wickness)
- forgiving anyone who has wronged us or someone who borrowed from us and cannot pay.
- Giving food to the hungry
- Help the poor who is in need
And we saw the benefits that will come out of fasting.
- Our health will be restored if we are sick
- The person we love and we are praying for will be healed when fasting is done properly
According to scientist, when we don't eat for even 3 days, our body can be refreshed. It boost our immune system. We realized that before scientist even discovered this, it was being thought by the bible. So it's very good for our body
Our behavior during Fasting:
Fasting is not something we should do to show off. It should not be made know unto me, except maybe your spouse whom you have agreed with to fast.
Matthew 6:16 KJV
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
So that our prayers will be heard by God we must follow what is being thought by our Lord Jesus Christ as Brother Eli shows us. Fasting is not something we do to show off. The fasting thought by Christ to us should not be made known unto man.
How a woman should Dress:
Hebrews 13:4 KJV
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Matthew 5:28 KJV
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
2 Peter 2:14 KJV
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
We see that men can sin just by lasting after a woman in his eyes. So therefore if a woman wears a provocative dress, she is tempting the man to do so. We even realized that the provocative dressing of a woman is one of the factor's of rape. Like brother Eli said:
"If a chicken sees corn it will peck it, if an ant sees sugar it's drown to it" so if a man sees a woman who has exposed herself in a sexual way , he may not be able to control his edges and if the fear of God is not in him he may sin. So my dear ladies, help us not to sin.
How the man should treat his wife:
The bible makes us to understand that as husbands we must learn to live with our wife's according to knowledge.
1 Peter 3:7 KJV
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
So we understand from this scripture that our prayers can be affected if we mistreat our spouses. They are the weaker vessels so we must treat them well so our prayers will not be hinder. For our prayers to be heard we must honour our wives. This is what God meant by according to knowledge.
We also saw that as a husband you must have self control and not have sex with your wife during her menstral period.
Leviticus 18:19 KJV
Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
1 Timothy 5:8 KJV
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
A man should be able to provide for his own home, this is an obligation as a Christian man by God for us to be able to do that, as the head of the home and must demonstrate that in taking responsibility.
A man should love his wife as he loves himself.
Ephesians 5:28 KJV
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
This means that:
- if you don't like getting hurt, don't hurt your wife
- if you don't like getting hungry, don't let your wife get hungry.
- if you like delicious food, then you must give delicious food to your wife.
- if you don't like to be shamed, don't shame her.
Whatever you would like to be done to you, according to the word of God do for your spouse. This is the commandments of our Lord from his holy scriptures.
How the wife should treat his husband
Woman are also commanded by Christ to submit to their husbands
Ephesians 5:22-24 KJV
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. [23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. [24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
A wife must honour the words of her husband, if her husband says he doesn't like her to wear a dress that exposes her body, she must obey, for the husband is her head according to the holy scriptures.
The Issue of covering the Hair:
The bible teaches husbands and wife's on the issue of covering the Hair in
1 Corinthians 11:4-5,7-10 KJV
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. [5] But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. [7] For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. [8] For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. [9] Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. [10] For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
A man should not have a covering on his head, a woman should have a covering on her head
The hair of the woman is the covering given to her by God. It's a sign that she is under the authority of her husband and to Christ. That is a spiritual sign of a woman who is under Christ and her husband. The covering is not the Vail women use, but the covering given by God - the long hair given to her by God.
It's a shame unto God for a man to have long hair. In the church of God, it is prohibited by God for a man to grow their hair long. The Man must not cover his head as the bible teaches because he represent Christ and the image of God according to verse 7 of the scripture we read.
The children of the Righteous couple:
Brother Eli Soriano gave an observation he has made over the years of experience he has making reference to Brother Daniel and Sister Ruth. That he hath rarely seen a righteous couple with bad children. So if we want a great home it's important that both husband and wife play their roles well and live a righteous love. Husbands loving their wife's and wife's submitting to their husbands as Christ has commanded will help lead the children to sanctification. Otherwise our children will grow to be disobedient and Worldly.
Reference scripture - Luke 1:5. John the Baptist who was the fruit of a righteous husband and wife. So if we want to have righteous children it's important for both the husband and wife to be righteous. This is the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We have obligations that comes with praying.
Today's section has really been a blessing, can't wait to see you join in next week Monday as we continue the Day 6 of our Mass Indoctrination which is shaping and changing lives. Have a blessed weekend.
MCGI cares