And so the famous fairy tales begin “once upon a time.”  But true love, dear friends of Jesus, is not a fairy tale or a fantasy; true love is born only from God, for “God is love.” 1 John 4:16

Let your mind contemplate the changes in societal wisdom as we travel through time.

My story begins in the year 1801, the turn of the nineteenth century.   A marriage is about to take place.  A young maiden has met the man God has chosen for her and on the eve of their wedding they pray for God’s blessing, for His providence, for His guidance and that their union will include the blessing of many children.

Fast forward now to the year 2014.  The couple has decided not to marry, instead their love will be consumated without God’s blessing.   They will live together.   Unaware of God’s will, the couple precious to God, will forgo God’s sacred blessing because the devil has deceived them in believing they don’t need religion.  Without God in a relationship that relationship is like a garden that will never reach its full potential.  The blooms will eventually fade if the living water of God’s grace is not present.

For those that do get married in 2014, some of the traditions that precede the nuptials would have shocked the pilgrims of 1801.  The men and women who celebrate in the days preceding the sacred event with “stags” involving drunken trips to the local strip clubs demonstrate that lust has eclipsed love.   Satan has once more deceived intelligent beings into communing not with God but with his ugly demons.  Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28

Clearly there are still some people who dream of marriage and the blessing of finding the man or woman of their dreams but I wonder if those that do are now the minority rather than the majority.  Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  Luke 18:8  When faith in God diminishes so too does the moral fabric of society.

For those that are determined to have God on their own terms, this little post may annoy them.  And while I do not have any right or desire to judge anyone, I do see that we are living in a world that in many ways is morally and spiritually decaying.  I have met kind, intelligent people who have chosen a marital lifestyle called “swinging”.  This means they share their spouses with others.  A man or woman in love does not lend out their partner for their sexual pleasure.  Yet these “swingers” are not “in love”.  They are deceived by the devil and possessed by a spirit of impurity and lust.  Let us pray for them.

Holy Lord, please help us to find true love, a love that You create and nurture and sustain.  May Satan’s many deceptions be brought into the light so that we can all run towards You and seek shelter in Your merciful arms.  Please forgive us for our many sins.  May Your merciful love and Your holy will prevail and create relationships that will endure and fulfill our souls.  In Your Holy Name Jesus I pray!