Father of the Father (Grandpa) of the Bride: “Son as your father I am asking you, are you willing to give my granddaughter away to this man? To be no longer under your leadership but his? Have you examined him in the light of God’s word and found Him to be a man after God’s own heart? A man who is willing to love her, protect her and lead her spiritually with Godly sincerity with his entire being?”
Father of the Bride: “I do and I have. “
Opening Prayer done by the Father of the Bride.
The Charge to Bride and Groom done by the Father of the Bride:
Benjamin David Cahill and Marina Paige Hicks, Marriage is a celebration of a commitment between a man and a woman. It is intended by God to be a mirror image of His relationship to mankind for all eternity.
It started when…the LORD God said…It is not good that the man should be alone…God went on to say…I will make him an help meet for him. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:18, 20-25
Benjamin and Marina, Marriage was created by God to show His eternal plan of reconciliation. This became God’s number one agenda since man fell into sin shortly after that first wedding. God’s word tells us this:
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:19-33
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Colossians 3:15-19
Benjamin and Marina, submission to God is necessarily vital for the Christian’s safety in this life and for all of eternity. Marriage is a working mechanism to help us learn how we should humble ourselves and submit to God under His protection:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:7, 10
Benjamin and Marina, Our Lord Jesus, who was God manifested in the flesh, showed much humility as He submitted Himself under His Father’s authority when He came to earth and ministered among us. God’s will is that you two do this as well towards each other and towards God through your marriage. It is a wonderful miracle to behold when a man and woman commit to this cause without compromise.
Jesus said…Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise”…He also went on to say…”I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”. John 5:19, 30
This is the vision that I, the leader in my home, have set for my family and I encourage you to do likewise with your family. Use what God has blessed you with today, your marriage to serve others. When we do this we truly follow the lead of our Saviour and when we do this selflessly we find ourselves directly in the center of the will of God our Father. Jesus said:
… whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:2-8
This is what it is all about: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18
Please listen closely to these words of wisdom found in God’s word:
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22
My blessing to this man marrying my daughter: Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Proverbs 5:18
God’s command to each of you from this day forward: Submit one to another in the fear of God and follow Jesus Christ with complete submission and humility until death do you part.
Tying of the Knot (Cross)
Wedding Vows done by the Father of the Bride:
I will now require and will charge you both, Benjamin and Marina, as you will surely answer at the day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment why you should not be lawful joined together in this holy marriage, do you now confess it, for be it assured unto you that any persons that are joined otherwise than God's Word does allow, their marriage is not lawful. But believing that you have duly considered this solemn obligation that you are about to assume, that you have prepared to enter upon the same, reverently, discreetly, wisely, and in the fear of God, I shall propose to you the marriage covenant. You will declare the same as you join your right hands.
(Benjamin and Marina join their right hands together and exchange rings)
Benjamin David Cahill, Will you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in this holy covenant of marriage; do you promise to love, honor and cherish, in sickness and health, riches or poverty, and will forsake all others and cleave thee only unto her as long as you both live?
(Benjamin answers, "I will.")
Marina Paige Hicks, Will you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in this holy covenant; do you promise to love, honor, cherish, in sickness and health, riches or poverty, and will forsake all others and cleave thee only unto him as long as you both live?
(Marina, "I will.")
I will require a token of you, that this covenant betwixt you, that's been made, will always be kept.
(Two rings are placed on Dad’s Bible, then offered to the groom for the bride, then to the bride for the groom.)
Now, will you join your right hands together again, upon the Word of God.
Wedding Vows done by Benjamin and Marina:
Marina and Benjamin face each other and state their vows to each other.
The Pronouncement done by the Father of the Bride:
My son and daughter, who stand before you today, have both given their lives to their Father, their Creator, their Saviour. They have both as individuals submitted their lives to His Kingdom under the saving grace of Jesus Christ. They stand before us all today as a testimony to what God’s ultimate purpose is for all of mankind and that is to be reconciled to our God the Father for all eternity. Their desire today is to not just join each other in wedded bliss but they sincerely wanted to use this time as well as the remainder of their lives together to plead to all sinners in this world to come to Christ just as they have done. You see, Benjamin and Marina have the same heart that their Father in heaven has and that is they are “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” and find eternal salvation through the blood that Jesus shed for us all on the cross. If there is anyone who is here today who has not found new life in Jesus Christ please do ask the Bride or Groom how this is done and rest assured they will gladly show you the way.
I now pronounce these two Husband and Wife. Benjamin, you may now lead your bride in your first communion together recognizing the sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ paid for us all.
Communion (As The Deer)
Benjamin leads Marina in their first act together as a married couple, communion.
The Closing Prayer done by the Father of the Bride:
Let us bow our head.
Almighty God, Who married the first man and woman in the garden of Eden, joining together Your own creation, we do realize today that this commission has been carried out down through the ages until this very wedding. And, Father, Thou art the only One Who can join hearts one to the other. And we pray, dear heavenly Father, as this has been done by Your wise counsel, that You have brought this young Christian man and Christian woman together, to unite in this holy ceremony today, to be husband and wife to each other throughout life's journey, we pray that You will bless them, and bless their home. Make them an example, Lord, wherever they will make their home.
God, grant that they'll be happy and healthy. Make them fruitful, Lord, and multiply to replenish the earth, as Thou did commission us to do at the beginning. And as Thou did bless Isaac and Rebekah, and they brought forth their faithful children, may it be so with this couple also, Father. Our prayer Lord is that you bless them.
As we have witnessed today, that two hearts can still beat as one, and as we have just performed this ceremony, and sent a young man and a young woman from their homes to go make a home of their own, we are minded, O God, of another great procession there will be someday, when Jesus comes to receive His Bride. And as we witnessed the little lady standing spotless in her bridal gown, O God, may we keep our souls unspotted from the things of the world, that we might be loved by Him Who is our Lover, when we come to that hour. Grant it, Lord. And we pray that Your blessings will be with each of us, and may we live for that time when we'll take part in the great event that this symbolizes. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Lord bless you.
First Kiss command given by the Father of the Bride:
“Benjamin David Cahill, you may now kiss your Bride.”
Presentation of the Couple done by the Father of the Bride:
“It is now my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin David Cahill.”
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