Perry, don't try to mix the the modern gospel with the Biblical wedding tradition, they are not complimentary. Just stay with Rogers and Finney-like revivals. Go ahead and make your fortune on TV marketing tapes.
The modern evangelical gospel came from Britain to America in the form of divine enablements for the sinner to repent. This message is pervasive through out American Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism. You are pouring new acidic wine into old wine skins. Your message is highly acidic.* The modern wooing of the sinner to decide for himself is as foreigh to the Bible as Elvis is to the Apostle Paul!
You have young middle eastern virgins acting like harlots. That is not a problem for our traditions but for the conservative Jews and Muslims this is offensive. Only "loose women" would be conducting themselves in this manner at a public well or market. Young conservative men would not approach such girls except for one reason and that would not be marriage.
You are assuming that this demonstrates the wooing of the sinner by the Holy Spirit to become a candidate for salvation. This demonstration will not complement a Biblical wedding.
In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice. Bible marriages are arranged, a concept we cannot embrace in modern times. The modern concept of free choice on the part of the maiden did not come until the middle ages. We sing "Love and Marriage", they sing "marriage and love". That is one of the reasons we have so many young girls with baby carriages without a husband. They thought that they had an intended husband but they had only a father. They mistook love for a lust driven male.
French and Italian Mediterraneans cultivated modern romance and Victorian formality firmed up the modern concept of marriage. Sacred to us but not to the Middle East. When their young seek to copy modern romantic intentions it is frowned upon.
Perhaps this may be a reason western modern evangelism has little effect in the middle east while Christian tourism rockets. They take our money and laugh all the way to the bank!
*While Wesleyan theology differs from most Baptist theology both are similar in that they have a divine enablement while admitting to a state of spiritual death, making it possible for the sinner to make a choice for salvation. Those who do not subscribe to a total spiritual death are of a different free will theology. This is why Finneyism is so destructive.
Unitarianism in the form of Liberalism, Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism are free will theologies without this spiritual death. Many Baptist are coming close to this belief, ie. Rogers and many modern dispensationalist who are dangerously close to denying original sin. The SBC BF&M nearly implies this. Wesleyan theology, IMO, is not as close. Classical Arminianism, those who cling closely to the teachings of Jacobus Arminius, are not as close since they believe in total depravity, original sin. ie. remonstrants
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Our marriage was arranged. I know that for certain. No questions.
Revival broke out at or college and lasted for several days. Classes had to be dismissed. The science building had an auditorium, Brown auditorium was made for lectures and not Pentecostal worship. There was a small piano crowded between the lectern and stadium seating and movement was restricted up front.
The most voluptous girl on campus was "slain in the Spirit" between the piano and the seats and to cross over to the other side one had to step over her. I stepped over her and stopped and saw the most beautiful site. It was not her beauty it was the expression of pure worship in tongues with her hands lifted toward heaven. Unknown to me, that was an appointment from God to arrange our marriage. She and I were strangers to each other at that time. Two years later were were married.
35 years later we are still married! What God has joined together let not man put asunder.
I am glad that our decision does not enter into our Salvation.
Rolf Barnard said, ''Whatever man can decide, he can un-decide.''
Modern evangelism is to boost the formulas of Non-Calvinists for Salvation. Having rejected Unconditional Election, they have to invent decisions, aisle walking to bolster their false doctrine.PWF
Paul
works for marriage and grace. "what God has joined together let not man..."
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