"i invite YOU in": TO MY FUTURE BRIDE

My Future Bride,With all this wedding planning, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Sarah, did you know that we can be the best illustration of God’s love on this side of heaven by our marriage? Yes it’s true.  Do you know how many times a man misrepresents his faith when he treats his wife in an unloving way; the same goes for a wife who disrespects her husband? It undermines the marriage model set out by Christ for His church.Could this be why so many do not believe in marriage anymore and choose to simply live together to see if it works out? Did Christ not tell us that we are His bride, married to Him? Therefore, is not our love for each other as ONE flesh to be the model for how Christ loves His body? May we never be a married couple that misunderstands the importance of this principle.

I openly proclaim my love for you.  And isn’t it curious how a pure emotion like love can get people “up in arms”? Maybe this is why so many attacked Christ, because He wanted to make them the affection of His love, yet He became the target of their rage?It is written for ‘husbands to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her’ (Ephesians 5:25)—A love that can only be seen when it is self-sacrificial in nature. Maybe, just maybe, many cannot sacrifice self, so true love cannot really be felt as ONE flesh; thus love is severed as the result of division? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I am excited to become ONE flesh with you in less than a month, knowing very well that what God sows together, man cannot tear apart.And now it’s important for you to know and always remember that your scars and bruises are now mine, and mine, yours.  And together as ONE, we are now God’s, who allowed His Son to be scarred and bruised for us!You are a representation of me, and me of you. We are two different images, you being beauty and me the beast, but with ONE reflection of Christ.I take pride in honoring you in this transitional season, recognizing that by finding you I have found a good thing; and because of you I have favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). I proclaim it with the hope that the world will see it: God gave you to me and me to you that WE may be an illustration of His loveI believe He did and I know you do too…That is all that will ever matter!ONE FLESH & ONE LOVE,Matthew Joseph MaherP.S. We will always put our name on everything we do (NOV-VIII-2014)