SCARCITY OF MARRIAGEABLE MEN AND VIRGINS IN THE CHURCH

1 Timothy 4: 1-3 “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 FORBIDDING TO MARRY…”

We are indeed in the last days and the Spirit of God has warned us that some will depart from the Christian Faith (Doctrine of God) and accept the doctrines of devils. One of the attack will be centered on God’s Doctrine of Marriage. For the Scripture says, “seducing spirits will speak LIES and FORBID PEOPLE TO MARRY”. The word forbid, from Greek “koluo” means “to hinder or prevent by act or word”.

We can’t deny the fact that there are scarcity of marriageable men and virgins in the church today. My wife and I had conducted several Marriage Seminars in Africa and the major questions arising from Singles are their inability to find godly suitors.

There are seducing spirits being released by the devil to prevent people you from getting married or obeying the principles of God concerning marriage. Satan knows that when humanity refuse to obey God’s Principles, they will go into exile. And that is exactly what is happening to us today.

Beloved, when there is a dehumanization of manhood and womanhood; When the world has turn to Sodom and Gomorrah – Men marrying Men and Women, marrying Women; When some people no longer have natural feelings and start sleeping with animals; When marriage is losing is strength, hearts are broken, and divorce is increasing; When immorality is increasing and the number of single mothers is growing high; When the rate of cohabitation is increasing among Singles. Then, there is a need for Marriage Revival. It means that humanity has turn its back on God, the creator of marriage. As a result, we enter into spiritual exile.

WHEN THE VOICE OF WEDDING CEASE IN THE LAND

Have you ever wonder why we have only few wedding bells ringing?

Like the Israelite held captive in Babylon, so are some Christians in captivity to worldly systems. While in Babylon, the children of Israel couldn’t marry because of their deviation from the Principles of God. The immorality and the breaking of god’s law brought in the judgement of God. The Lord said, “Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate”. Jeremiah 7:34

God said, he will cause to “cease”. The word cease means, “to bring to an end”. He will bring to an end the voice of the Bridegroom and the Bride. People will no longer enjoy comfort in marriage because he will take away His Holy Spirit.

“Voice” speaks of God’s prophetic agenda and authority of bring male and female in marriage. When the VOICE of marriage ceased in the Land, then marriage will go into spiritual exile. And when marriage enter into exile: Those that are not marry will find it difficult to marry and those that are married will find it difficult to stay happily together. Why? Because we grieve the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption”.

We grieve the Spirit when we live in immorality and disobey God’s command. But there will be a redemption of marriage in this last days for those who will repent and renew God’s Covenant.

In this profound teaching, I will be dealing with the following topics:

·        The Dilemma of the Scarcity

·        The Killing of the Male Child

·        The Lamentation of the Daughters

·        The Marriage of Virgin Sons and Daughters

·        The Marriage Revival

THE DILEMMA OF THE SCARCITY

Why it matters that globally, fewer people are married, more are living single. All around the world, marriage is in decline and single living is on the rise.

For evidence, the percentage of women in Africa who reach their late forties without ever having married (it is increasing), the average age at which people marry for the first time, of those who do marry (that is increasing, too), and the proportion of people in their late forties who are divorced or separated (also increasing).

Churches don’t just have a deficit of men—they have a shortage of unmarried young men. This trend makes it harder for young women to find mates who are spiritually compatible.

Unmarried women are unlikely to find eligible men in their churches—or even in their local area.

Liana, a single Christian woman in her late 20s, met me after one of our Marriage Seminar. Already half an hour over our 45-minute counseling, I was once again at a loss for an answer. She said, “Rev. Jabari, there just aren’t any single Christian men! I’ve read all the books, know that God is in control and all of that, but when there literally aren’t enough men to go round, I really don’t know what else we’re supposed to do as Single Ladies?”

In a church culture where marriage to another Christian is seen as the best and often only option, but with a ratio of 60:40 single women to men, the situation for women like Liana can be problematic.

Over the subsequent weeks of analysis, the scenarios of single women like Liana appeared to be the norm. The normal experience of a single Christian woman was to be asked out by two non-Christians, and no Christians from her own congregation. This meant that 63 per cent of single women in the church hadn’t been on a date with another member of their own congregation in the past two years.

“I’ve never been asked out by another church member in my entire life,” wrote one 23-year-old woman. “I go to a small group, I go to services, I really don’t know why it hasn’t happened!” “But outside of the church, it is different,” added another, “in my friendship groups, people have asked me out loads - they are very fine with it.”

The more I read through the open answers, the more the frustration became palpable. Are we under a judgement because of the rate of immorality in our modern world?

Women are frustrated with the lack of godly men, and particularly with the lack of initiation from men in their church. Another Lady said to me, “The Christian men are wanting sex, and yet when I was dating an atheist, when he found out that I didn’t want sex before marriage, he was fine with that...he was perfectly OK with not having sex before we were married.” Another, in response to some of her main frustrations, wrote, “I've had more lovely/respectful dates with unbelievers in the past six months than in three years at my church. I honestly wish I'd joined them way sooner.”

What are the sources of the scarcity of marriageable men in the church? What is God saying in regard to this scarcity?

Let us not only focus on the scarcity of men. As there is scarcity of men, there are also scarcity of virgins in the Church. Before you complain there are no marriageable men, are you a virgin in Christ?