A Blessed Messianic Marriage Zoom Conference

By Sam Nadler

Why a Messianic Marriage Conference? As Messianic congregation planters, we know that congregations can be no spiritually stronger than the marriages that make them up and the Messianic marriage is the key for the congregation and society. In Genesis 3, Satan’s attack on humanity was an attack on a marriage. If he can destroy the marriage, he can destroy society. This is still his heinous game plan. The redeemed marriage is the most effective testimony of the grace of God to heal our society. Also, for a spiritually healthy couple to grow in Messiah, they must grow together, or they risk growing apart –which will negatively impact their testimony as a couple. This Messianic Marriage Conference was conducted to help all marriages grow even stronger in Messiah for a greater testimony of His Good News –even to the Jew first!

By the grace of God, Word of Messiah Ministries (WMM) has conducted numerous effective conferences in various countries, but this was WMM’s first Zoom conference, with attendees from several countries. Though WMM had scheduled this Messianic Marriage Conference to be hosted in Beth Messiah Congregation in Columbus, Ohio, the Covid-19 quarantine was used by God to close that door. By His all sufficient grace, another and even wider door of service was opened for even greater ministry in many more locales. Now, isn’t that just like Him!

With Marianela Leekley administrating the conference, we had just 3 weeks to organize an internet conference and start publicizing this two-day event for the Memorial Day weekend. The team started inviting people everywhere –through social media, emails and phone calls– to register online and they did just that. People continued to register right up to the Friday midnight deadline.

The conference, “Restored to Our Original Design,” used the Messianic Marriage Matters book as its text, with the Power Point presentation on screen at the same time. It turned out to be a most effective way to communicate the materials, as the couples and numerous singles who attended took notes and asked questions from the comfort of their own homes. We had 50 minute sessions, 10 minutes for “Question and Answer,” and then the couples had a “break-out” for 30 minutes to discuss the questions at the end of each chapter; for application of the biblical material to their relationships. During that time, Greg Leekley led the single men in their own breakout discussion, while Miriam Nadler led the single women in their breakout for application of the material.

I have to confess, that I enjoyed conducting the Q&A sessions because I so want to care for the people. When I teach the material, people know where I am, but only their questions tell me where they are –and then I can address their issues to better apply the materials for their personal edification. For only in the implementation of God’s word is His blessing applied to their marriage, for Yeshua said, “If you know these things, blessed are you who do them” (John 13:17).

Interestingly, what may have been the most practical help to the attendees was addressing the question: “What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit and to therefore have a Spirit-filled marriage?” The New Covenant teaching on marriage for wives to respect their husbands, and husbands to love their wives as Messiah loved the Congregation, is impossible in our flesh –unless the husband and the wife are filled with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to live the life of Yeshua in their marriage. As we studied Ephesians 5:18 and the command, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” we discussed the three other biblical commands that help us to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

1)   Do not grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) –confess your sins!

2)   Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) –yield to His promptings to obey the word!

3)   Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) –by faith in Yeshua & now by His power, do as the word says!

And as my book explains, “If you attend to these three commands, you will be a Spirit-filled person, and therefore a Spirit-filled husband or a Spirit-filled wife. Just loving each other in your own strength is not enough, for your flesh is stronger than you are and will inevitably rebel and fail. Be filled with the Holy Spirit, that you may love one another and have a marriage that represents God’s love for His people.” —Messianic Marriage Matters, pp 214-216.

There were many words of appreciation, but some of what was texted and posted are these:

• From the Cohens in California: “We attended this amazing seminar and highly recommend it. Sam Nadler is an exceptional teacher rightly dividing the Word. We were very blessed and recalibrated.”
• From the Bockischs in Florida: “The very best marriage conference anywhere!”
• From the Robinsons in Virginia: “After listening to the biblical teaching, I feel like I never even knew God. This is great!”

(Editor’s note: “Isn’t it amazing that when the Holy Spirit opens His word, His renewal can seem like being born again, all over again! PTL!”)

For all this and much more, to God be the glory that the name of Yeshua will be exalted all the more in Messianic marriages here and around the world. Thanks so very much for praying for Word of Messiah Ministries and our global outreach, even to the Jew first!