Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.   A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV

1. Three strands necessary in marriage
Intimacy first between God and the couple,
and second, intimacy between the man and
the woman. This is the pattern that God has
ordained to stand unchanged.
Kigume KaruriWednesday, May 31, 2017 1

2. • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12New King James Version
(NKJV)
• 9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their
labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his
companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
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3. • 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will
keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by
another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
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4. • "A threefold cord is not quickly broken"
Ecclesiastes 4:12.
• A successful marriage is not a matter of
chance.
• It is involving God in every aspect of the
marriage and meeting His conditions. This is
the secret that alone ensures the success of
the marriage relationship.
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5. • Better than two, according to Solomon, is a
“cord of three strands”. In this case the
strength of three together is far greater than
two together.
• The three are: God, husband and wife.
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6. • It is a binding together of three persons: the
man, the woman and God. The relationship
between the man and the woman alone is not
enough to ensure a successful marriage.
• Adding God to the relationship introduces a
completely new dimension to the
relationship. God then becomes an integral
part of the marriage relationship.
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7. • When times of strain come up and both
husband and wife begin to weaken and feel
unable to hold out, God Himself, the third
strand, holds on until the strain is eased and
both husband and wife can be healed and
restored.
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8. • In the cord of three strands the principle that
intertwines the strands and holds them
together is the covenant. Clearly this makes
the covenant an essential element of a
successful marriage.
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9. • In the marriage covenant you have
covenanted to love, comfort, honour and
keep each other in sickness and in health for
as long as you both shall live.
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10. • You should value and respect each other and
see and treat your spouse the way God sees
and treats them. When you value someone,
you treat that person with special care and
your marriage relationship should be a
reflection of your relationship with God.
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11. • No one should enter marriage with the
attitude of what can be got out of it but with
the attitude of what can be given to it.
• You give your life. You lay it down for the
other and then find your new life in your
spouse. To the natural mind this sounds
ridiculous yet this is the secret of real life,
real happiness and real love.
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12. • In marriage relationships, each spouse has a
special contribution to make.
• What is your commitment to the covenant
you have made?
• When you are committed to this covenant
you will have a very successful marriage and
enjoy your marriage as God has intended it to
be.
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13. • When couples love God first, they will love
each other better.
• Marriage is a gift from God. The quality of
that marriage is the couple’s duty.
• Marriage is a wonderful experience and
when a husband and wife can work together
with the Holy Spirit, it is one of the most
beautiful experiences that any human can
ever have.
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14. • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 shows that “Two are
better than one, because they have a good
return for their labor: If either of them falls
down, one can help the other up. But pity
anyone who falls and has no one to help
them up. Also, if two lie down together, they
will keep warm. But how can one keep warm
alone? Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves. A cord of three
strands is not quickly broken.”
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15. • When two cords of husband, and wife bound
together, they are not easily broken, and
when three strands are woven together,
these three cords are not quickly broken. If
the third cord or strand is God, then three are
better than two. And even the Devil can not
break what God has joined together.
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16. • Though one may be overpowered, two can
defend themselves. A cord of three strands
is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV
Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that when Jesus is
the central “strand” in our relationships, they
become much stronger.
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17. • Marriage is a journey. Never give up in your
marriage or in the marriage of the people
around you that you love. Whatever your
marriage is like today, it may be different
tomorrow. Never give up. A good marriage
is good, but a great marriage is better.
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18. • Don’t ever be completely satisfied with a
good marriage, but work towards a great
marriage. Be thrilled with good and work
towards great!
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