WHEN SATAN WEAKENS YOUR MARRIAGE HE WEAKENS YOUR ABILITY TO RULE AND REIGN 

But these three purposes are to be 

lived out in a covenant. 

The unseen benefits of a covenant

 - When you understand what a covenant is, you make a more serious choice regarding if YOU want to get married and WHO you will marry. You don’t want to marry someone who does not marry on a covenant understanding. 

 - Covenants are hard… they are meant to be hard. 

There are no shortcuts.

1864 The Donner party with 80 plus people all from one family we’re going to travel from Illinois to California where life would be better. Half way through the journey they met an old explorer Lansford Hastings… cut up north thru Utah…it will save you lotts time. Just the opposite, first they hit deserts… no water for days, then mountains with snow peaks and drifts 15-20 ft. high. They tried to camp out and survive but the party started to die off quickly… and the only way the last few could survive was through cannibalism. **You can take other peoples advice about your marriage… to “save time” - to “be Happy” - to “do whats fair” - to “live in the worlds standards”… but you will ultimately cannibalize your marriage and all other relationships. 

DON’T GET TEMPTED BY SHORTCUTS… Anything outside of scripture is a shortcut. 

Live your covenant according to scripture!

 - Covenant - No feelings allowed

As Christ loved the church. Jesus did not want to die on the cross according to his feelings… but he chose to do so according to his love for humankind. 

There is nothing that will pollute, and kill a marriage faster than one spouse living by their feelings.

  …if its not best for me

… if its not easiest for me

… if it doesn’t feel good

… if it is hard… 

I won’t do it - especially for my spouse.

Feelings killed the potential and the future of that marriage.

How many incredible MARRAIGES never happened…

How many wrecked roads of potential….

DUE TO FEELINGS. 

 - It is till Death… (to cut, spill blood) They are life or death

When a couple in Christ day got marriage they would cut up an animal in half and the bride and groom would walk in-between them on the way to the altar…signifying death if either of you break this covenant.