Jenny's Birthday! September 7th, 2005

Wednesday, September 7th

Today is Jenny’s Birthday!

Acts 18:24-26
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Ephesians 5:25-28
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Radiant (adj.):

1. Filled with light; bright.
2. Glowing; beaming

Husband (noun):

1. A man joined to a woman in marriage; a male spouse.
2. A manager or steward, as of a household.

Wife (noun):

1. A woman joined to a man in marriage; a female spouse.

Love (noun):

1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair
3. An intense emotional attachment.
4. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
5. An expression of one's affection.
6. A strong predilection or enthusiasm.
7. The object of such an enthusiasm

Love (Verb):

1. To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward
2. To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward
   

In the scripture of Acts, the couple’s name is listed… what I found interesting is that the woman’s name was first. Maybe it was Priscilla’s idea to invite Apollos, maybe Aquila held her in such high esteem that people saw her so radiant, they always think of her before him. I don’t know… just something I noted. I want people to think of my wife before they think of me, just because her radiance shines out, they see her happy, they see her as an object of God, that would make me happy. Also, I think that by fulfilling my duty to my wife, a lot of people think of that as just a sexual scripture. If the husband or wife doesn’t get their way in bed, boom, out comes this scripture. But, I think it goes further than that. I see it like this. My marital duty is more than just sex. It is serving, taking care of my wife’s needs. It is tenderness, compassion, thinking of her needs before mine. And the only time I am not to be doing these things, is when I am devoted to prayer. My marital duty also is to lead my wife spiritually. To cleanse my wife with the word, to make her holy, to get her to heaven to be with her God. Not really an easy job, at least on paper, but she really does make it easy. She has a love for God, a love for her husband, and a love for her son that is remarkable to many that I have seen in the world. I get frustrated with little Mack, and she calms my spirit down. She is a true soldier by that in this time of war (against the evil one), she has a calm steady head and at all times makes a strong sound decision. Today is her birthday. A special day for her. A special day for me. A special day for God. Happy Birthday, my wife.