BLESSINGS FROM PEACEFUL UNIONS

My Dear Precious Child, In Paul's advice to the Ephesian believers he advised husbands to love their wives as Christ loves His body, the church, giving himself up for her to make her holy, and purifying her by bathing her in the power of His kind, gentle words, in order for Christ to present to Me a glorious church, holy, immaculate and without stain or wrinkle or any other imperfection. In addition, Paul advised women to respect their husbands as if they were submitting to Christ because the husband is head of the household just as Christ is Head of the church as well as its Savior. He advised both husbands and wives not to hate their own flesh, but instead he advised husbands to love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. A man takes care of his own flesh, nourishing it and taking care of it as Christ cares for His church, which is His own body. He quoted My instructions at the beginning when I created the first man and woman and I commanded this: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cling to his wife and the two shall be made into one." (Genesis 2:24) I commanded that because the first man and woman were originally one person until I took the woman's DNA out of the man and formed her into a helper for him. That creating process was a foreshadow of Christ and His church. Paul reiterated again that every man should love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife should do her part of showing respect for her husband. When that advice is taken by both the husband and wife, there is peace in that family. (Ephesians 5:22-33) In Paul's attempt to give advice on how to maintain peace in families, he also told fathers not to anger their children but instead to bring them up with the training and guidance benefitting the Lord's gentle training of His body, the church. He also advised children to obey their parents as if they are obeying Christ. He reminded children of the Jewish Law that says for children to honor their parents, which is the only commandment with a promise, that being so that things in the earth will go well with children and so that they will live a long life. (Ephesians 6:1-4) Good parents have lived a much longer time in the earth and they are qualified by experience on how to teach and train their children in how to act when they encounter difficult circumstances and situations. Again, this advice by Paul is to help in keeping peace in families and keep the wolves from the door, or in truth keep the demons from invading your family. Along the same lines, Paul advised workers (slaves) to obey their bosses (masters) with the same results, to keep peace in the marketplace, farm or manufacturing plant. He wrote that workers owe peaceful reverence to their superiors as to Christ. He qualified it by saying for workers not to give respect to their bosses merely for the looks of approval of other people to gain favor. He told them to do good works because it is My will, giving your service willingly and without strife in an effort to keep peace even in your professional life, knowing that whether you are a worker or a boss, you will be repaid by Me for whatever good you do in your associations with other people. (Ephesians 6:1-8) In return, Paul wrote that bosses (masters) must act similarly to their workers (slaves). He commanded the bosses to stop threatening their workers in order to get a good days work out of them. His reasoning was that workers and bosses have another Master in heaven who has no favorites, masters or slaves, bosses or workers. (Ephesians 6:9) Peaceful associations reap good rewards from Me. In these practical suggestions on Paul's part, he endeavored to teach the Ephesians how to keep peace in every family and in every workplace, knowing that where there is strife there is every evil demon from hell. (James 3:16) His emphasis in all relationships was given in order to maintain peace in a world that is governed by strife-filled demonic forces from hell. In an effort to keep peace in families and the workplace, Paul gave excellent practical yet spiritual advice. Your Father of Peace and Tranquility In Unions With Others