Cowperthwaite family news Feb 2012

Mark and Sara Cowperthwaite

12 Emery Avenue

Thomaston, Maine 04861

(207)-542-8916

Email: cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Website: www.cowperthwaitefamily.com

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

As most of you know, our family has been asked to return to our home assembly, Grace Fellowship Bible Chapel in Union, Maine. With a lack of available teachers and aging elders, our family had seen needs in this local body for some time and continued to pray for the Lord's guidance. We prayed at length as to whether we should return to Maine for an undetermined amount of time to assist in the local assembly.

After speaking to the elders via email and phone calls,we all agreed that it would be well for us to relocate our family so that we could assist in the local assembly. This assembly typically has 12-15 adults in attendance for the Sunday meetings. Though at times, the attendance has been as many as 60 or 70 including children, we now see far less Christians who consistently come out to meetings. The last 3 weeks, the largest group including children was 27. We hope to see in the future some of those families who used to fellowship with us come back, and we are also praying for fruit from evangelistic efforts, bringing together more saints to worship and have fellowship together.

With these goals in mind and confirmation from the Lord that we were to assist in this work of reviving a struggling assembly, our family moved from McDonough, Georgia to Rockport, Maine February 1. A Christian widow from the local Baptist church heard of our housing need and offered us the use of her home for the months of February and March. This was such a blessing from the Lord, as finding a new home in the middle of the winter can be very hard. Praise God for putting this all together for our blessing. We plan to move out the end of March, and so we are prayerfully considering where we should locate in order to effectively minister to all those the Lord has put in our lives. We hope to find a home that will be adequate for hosting Bible studies and having times of fellowship also, as we have seen the importance of the Christian home in communities.

On the health front, most of you know that Mark's seizures had returned for a time while in Georgia. The last seizure Mark had was over a month ago now, and with the wisdom of the Lord and Mark's doctors, we believe we have found the problem that caused the seizures and we are confident that the issue is resolved. This is such a blessing as our family does a lot of ministry outside our home, and Mark was unable to drive while having seizures. Again, the Lord has done all things well!

With all the busyness of the family, it is not often that we have time to write newsletters. This is the first that we have ever sent by mail (though many are still getting this via email), as most of our information is passed along through our website, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and more. We always love to hear from folks via the phone, email, etc. It is a blessing to us to hear how the Lord is working in your lives and in assemblies all over.

The whole family has settled in well to our new home in Maine. As folks often ask how everyone is doing, we thought we would include personal updates on everyone so that you know what we are all up to. We all continue to study God's Word, memorize Scripture, sing praise to the Lord together, and educate our children in our home. We continue to have meals with Christians and reach out together in our community with the Gospel in varying opportunities as the Lord allows.

• Mark has taken on teaching at the local assembly whenever asked. So far, 2 out of 3 Sundays he has taken the ministry time at the request of the elders. He is also meeting with the men of the assembly to encourage and challenge them to be more involved, to discern gifting, and work alongside the elders in many aspects of the local body. Mark also meets with men from the community for prayer, has a discipleship study with 3 young men, and has been asked to teach at a few home meetings in the area. Some of these are associated with the local assembly, others with other Christians meeting in their homes. Mark is also coordinating Gospel outreach in the area, creating an equipping evangelistic website (www.equippedambassador.com) and still blogging.

• Sara is now 16 weeks pregnant, due in early August. She is nearly over the morning sickness (we hope) and is doing great. She met with the midwife that we plan to have deliver our baby at the local hospital. Sara assists Mark in counseling a young couple preparing for marriage, discipling a young lady, meeting with wives and mothers for encouragement, and of course home schooling our children. Sara is glad to be near her family at this time as we prepare for the baby's arrival.
• Nathaniel just turned 16 and wishes to get a job, to save up for driver education, a car, and such things as a young man needs as he grows to maturity. Nathaniel is taking part in Mark's discipleship study with the young men, and has taken on various jobs with Christian families nearby who need help with firewood, farm chores, and more.
• Virginia will turn 9 years old in May and has become quite the mother's helper. Virginia has volunteered to help a widow from the assembly in her home one day a week. She will help clean, prepare meals, and read to our dear sister for a few hours on Fridays.
• Naomi will turn 5 years old in March, and is so glad to be close to Grandma and Grandpa. She enjoys learning from her older siblings, playing in the snow, and has a great affinity for eating snow. We have had to teach her to find clean snow, but otherwise Naomi is doing great.
• Samuel just turned 2 a few weeks ago. He is talking more as of late, his health is good (no breathing issues for months now) and he is a typical energetic young boy.
• Baby Cowperthwaite is due to arrive in early August from our understanding. Everything seems to be going well for baby and Sara will have an ultrasound mid March

Thank you for your prayer and support. The Lord surely has blessed us greatly and we count it a privilege to serve Him in this mission field of Maine. Returning to where it all started has shown us just how great the Lord is, as we have always desired to proclaim the Gospel in Maine and now we have the chance to do just that. We wait on the Lord to see how long we are here, and we thank God for continuing to open doors for our family in His service.

All glory to God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ,

Mark, Sara, Nathaniel, Virginia, Naomi, Samuel, and baby Cowperthwaite

So my mom isn't crazy after all

I recall in my childhood years my mother telling me that they wanted to protect me from many things. As the years went by, I was home schooled for a while, went to Christian schools, and ended my formal education with 2 years at a public school. When preparing to go to public school, I was told to be careful that teachers were not portraying sinful behavior as acceptable. Mom often spoke of the propaganda  being used in schools to promote abortion, sexual promiscuity, and such things. Mom, you were righter than you know!

Today, 180movie.com  posted this video from Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. This video was used on the PPGG site and most likely in schools often over the years. Besides the blatant lies about STDs and Christians, they have used terms like "reproductive health" in place of "killing babies" or "abortion". 

The producers of this video have demonized those who teach abstinence as the only guaranteed way of avoiding STDs and unplanned pregnancy, and even made fun of killing people using condoms and a superhero kind of gun. I find it odd that they don't want to teach abstinence, though no one can argue that avoiding sexual activity outside of marriage has proven effective. Does someone need to draw a diagram of how this works better than handing out condoms and telling kids how to use them? Surely these same people would tell you the only way to stop crime is to ban guns for everyone, even law abiding citizens.

Christian parents would do well to know what is being taught in their kids classrooms, though often you will not get advanced notice or be able to provide alternate activities during such times of brainwashing.

This video is not appropriate for young viewers, though something like it may very well be in your kids classroom at public schools. 

Well Equipped Ambassador- evangelism website

Our new website is designed to bring together resources from all over the world wide web for the purpose of equipping Christians to share the Gospel. It is called "Equipped Ambassador for Christ" and can be viewed at http://www.equippedambassador.com/

Please bookmark this site and check back often for audio, video, and printed Gospel materials along with information on free speech, recommended resources, and encouraging quotes from God's Word and faithful witnesses from ages past. There is plenty to find here, and we hope you will share the site. 

We also have an attached Amazon Store to purchase associated resources through our affiliate program. All purchases through ads on our site will help support the ministry. Thank you.

Love and Respect Experience Devotional - Review

We didn't plan for this, but today seems like good timing to do our book review of
"The Love & Respect Experience: A Husband-Friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love"  by Emerson and Sara Eggerichs. My wife and I have never been too excited about holidays, and like to think that we express our love to one another often enough and well enough that we don't need a holiday to remind us. That being said, many folks do enjoy having a special day to celebrate, so if you are one that likes to give gifts we would suggest that you might enjoy this devotional book.

Sara and I have been reviewing this book from Booksneeze.com, having received a free e-copy for our Kindle for PC. As we recently watched the Love and Respect DVD series with a small group at our church, many of the principles and concepts were fresh in our mind. Some of the things learned during the DVD series have already begun to take root in our lives and the Lord has brought blessings from our understanding of Biblical principles and practical knowledge. We are learning together, and we praise God for our the materials along with our wonderful friends who introduced us to Love and Respect. 

The devotional is, in my opinion, true to the title. It is husband-friendly and my wife also loved it. With short devotionals that open up topics of discussion, we found it best to read the devotionals together. The author suggests that it may be well for husbands and wives to read separately, but our preference has always been to read things together and discuss. I believe either way would be beneficial, but as it is a marriage devotional it seems to make sense to spend this time together talking about your marriage and how you can work together to build it up in Christ. 

The Kindle version seemed especially appropriate, as folks tend to spend a little time before bed reading. This relaxed and uplifting material seems quite appropriate to read before bed, as making other time during the day or even once a week other than in the evening for us tends to become neglected, rushed, or muddled with the chaos of having 4 children in the house. We have enjoyed so far all the materials produced by Love and Respect Ministries and look forward to learning more about ourselves and our relationship as we practice the principles of God's Word and this material.

The link above is for the Kindle version, which is cheaper. That is what we preferred, using Kindle for PC which is free from Amazon. To buy a printed copy, use our Affiliate search tools in the right column of this blog. Thank you for supporting our ministry through your regular purchases. 

When to stop preaching the Gospel

I thought that title might turn a few heads, especially since I am known for encouraging people to share the Gospel in all places, at all times, and to all people. I read an article today that reminded me of many experiences I have had when proclaiming the Gospel. That situation is when one is sharing the message of hope, love, grace, and mercy from God's Word and is met with hate, insult, and mockery, even hate speech and blasphemy. Should we spend our time reaching out to those who are humble and willing to listen, or those who spit in our faces? We know that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble and that may hold the key in all this.

It isn't that we should run away from persecution, but that we must discern between when someone is hearing the message and when the swine are gathering. We are told not to cast our pearly before swine, and the message doesn't end there. Jesus goes on to say that swine tend to turn on you and devour you if you hang around them too long unless you are going to give them what they want. Here's a hint: They don't want you to stay clean, nor do they want to eat of the fruit of righteousness.

I also don't believe that we are to pick and choose who is worthy of the Gospel by our own standards. Surely, all means all, and we are to go into the world and preach to all God's creatures, fulfilling the command of Christ Jesus our Lord, the example we emulate in preaching the good news. We are to preach to all, but when one is met with hatred and reviling, should we continue at length to debate with one who is surely set in their ways and pridefully so? Should we share with all, but spend our time more wisely, with those who are willing to have a discussion instead of a debate? There is a lot more to this topic, and I hope to start a discussion here. The comments section below is fine for conversation, and the linked thread on Facebook is a fine place to talk this over also.

Read the article mentioned at http://carm.org/profile-of-a-hatetheist for Robin Shumacher's insights also. There are many other great articles at CARM, so browse around there when you get time.

One Human Family- full message

This is a Gospel message I wrote when living in Key West. There was a shorter version of this message on a postcard sized tract, but I wanted to share this message here for those who have never gotten a chance to read it. I have never formatted this message onto a brochure type tract, and it is too long for any other format. I welcome input as to a good place or situation to pass this tract out.

ONE HUMAN FAMILY

God made everyone unique in many ways. We see diversity naturally in skin color, eye color, or height. We see our chosen individuality in things like food preferences, taste in clothing, and sexual preferences. Some of these things are not necessarily right or wrong, while others are specificallyagainst God's commands. While each person is unique, there are some things that are the same in everyone. Some things that unite us are good, some are bad.

We are all human, and we all miss God's mark of perfection, the Bible says that “There is none righteous, not even one.” This “missing the mark” is called sin. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of God's glory.” No human being will ever be good enough to go to Heaven.

We have seen people calling themselves “Christians” holding signs that say terrible lies: “God hates fags” and “All fags go to Hell” I want to apologize to anyone who has been hurt by man's perversion of God's Word. God does not hate people of any sort. God is just, and will punish those that sinagainst Him, but He hates no man. We will talk more later about how much God loves everyone.

While considering God's love, we must also look at God's standard. As it would not be fair to sentence a person to jail without knowledge of the crime and adequate proof of guilt, so God has given us all a conscience that shows us right from wrong. I encourage you to read the following passage from the Bible. Here we read God's response to man's attempt to change His Word.

Romans 1:18-32 says:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.*

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Whether it is lying, stealing, adultery, idolatry, homosexuality, or any other sin, the judgment that comes from God is just. I am a sinner myself, so I have no reason to judge homosexuals any more than I should liars, thieves, or prideful hypocrites. All sin is the same to God. None of us can achieve God's standard of perfection. Not the priests, pastors, or any other person that we might think of as good. So, who could ever get to Heaven? The truth is nobody can.

That is the bad news, but there is good news, wonderful news! God loved the world so much that he gave His Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. You can find this verse in John 3:16 in the Bible. It is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, but many people skip the rest of the conversation. I encourage you to find a Bible and read all of John Chapter 3 to see how Jesus told a seemingly religious man the only way to get to Heaven. Jesus told this man that he must be “born again”, which is a spiritual rebirth in Christ.

Jesus' sinless life and sacrificial death on our behalf paid the penalty for every sin: past, present, and future. He paid for all our sins, but to have that payment accepted on your account requires that you repent, or change your mind to agree with God about sin. Only then can we accept what Jesus paid for us. This is God's “good news”(Gospel) for the ages! Sinners can be saved from Hell and given eternal life because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. This is the greatest love story of all time; a perfect Father who sent His Son to earth, who willingly gave up His life not for His friends, but His enemies.

Now that you have this knowledge, what will you do with it? You can deny it and go on with your life, but when the day of your death comes, God will judge you justly, and He will punish sinners with eternal Hell. Don't let this happen, it is not what God wants. The Bible says, “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” Will you accept Jesus' death on your behalf, turn from your sinful ways to serve God, your Creator?

Email- onehumanfamily@live.com God loves you more that you could ever imagine.

God wants you to be part of His family, but first “You must be born again!”

Hitler, God, and the Bible- the book behind the "180 movie"

The book "Hitler, God, and the Bible" was released today from Living Waters and Ray Comfort. You can buy your copy in our Amazon Store and through Christianbook.com links in the right column. I hope you continue to spread the word about the 180 movie and help inform people about the atrocity of abortion in our country and around the world.

In Hitler, God, and the Bible, international evangelist and best-selling author Ray Comfort, exposes Adolf Hitler's theology and abuse of religion as a means to seize political power and ultimately instigate World War II and genocide.

This fascinating study mines the depths of Hitler's beliefs and convincingly argues that without Hitler's misuse of Christianity, the Third Reich would not have had its legendary rise, resulting in the deaths of more than ten million innocents.

Highlighting Hitler's youth, his influences, and his path to seducing a nation, Hitler, God, and the Bible is a fresh, stinging reminder of the power of the cross and how its misuse led to the Final Solution.

DVD review- Courageous

We have been looking forward to seeing Courageous since it came out in theaters, and yet we never got the chance until this past weekend. We borrowed the DVD from Sara's brother, and enjoyed every minute of it. From the opening scene, we enjoyed the action, emotion, and challenge that comes from this overtly Christian film. Sherwood Pictures has outdone themselves yet again as they continue to grow in screen writing, videography, and quality actors.

We found Courageous to be more broad reaching than previous Sherwood films, going beyond following a single family into the lives of 5 families, including 4 police officers. Add in the "Snake King", well created by Robert Amaya as "Javier Martinez" and you have the masterful blend of talent that makes Courageous a winner for families of all backgrounds.

In our opinion, this diversity is the key to the success of the film and its message to men, fathers, and husbands. From the father who cannot connect to his teenage son to the poor immigrant family scraping to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, this film excels at driving the point home in all family situations. Corruption, integrity, pain, and forgiveness are all included to show the broad range of problems in our families, and also that God can and will bless those who choose to do what is right in His eyes above all else. Top all the action and emotion off with a healthy dose of humor and you have Courageous, a movie that will surely be on the playlist at the Cowperthwaite home for some time in the future.

Check this video below explaining the heart of Courageous.

Biblical Patriarch profile- Noah

Genesis 6-10 contain the history of the family of Noah. This is one of the most well known stories of the Bible, and yet often I hear Noah proclaimed only as a preacher of righteousness and an ark builder, neglecting the great things I believe we can learn from his life as a father and husband. There are some details of Noah's life that speak volumes to the topics of obedience and faith, but also we can see those things that are seemingly taken for granted when discussing the worldwide flood that was the judgement of God on the wicked world.

For me, the first thing I noticed that made me look further into the life of Noah is found in Genesis 6:6-8. God says that He was sorry for making man on the earth, and that God was grieved. Oh, that I would never be one that grieves the Father heart of God, and yet apart from regeneration and faith in Christ Jesus, we will never do anything but grieve God. Glory to God for His gracious and merciful redemption of rebellious children through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!

What must it have been like for our Creator to wish that He had never made man, and then at the last of that passage we see what we see so often in Scripture. "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" Hope in the worst of situations, a righteous man emerges from the chaos and violence that filled the earth. Noah was a righteous man in God's sight, and he walked with God. I pray that the Lord finds me to be such a faithful man that I would find favor in His eyes. Indeed, I know I have found God's favor, as He has saved me by faith in Jesus Christ, bringing me back from the dead, pardoned from the judgment so rightfully deserved. Praise God for His mercy!

Looking more into the story of Noah, we see that God blessed him. Children are a blessing from the Lord, and Noah had three sons, a triple blessing! While in today's society, we often see that the sons of Christian men do not follow in their father's footsteps (or maybe they do, but they are not a good example) Noah's wife submitted to him and followed him onto the ark. Noah's sons and their wives also followed. It would seem to me that Noah not only loved his wife and led her according to God's will, but that he also served as an example of this to his sons, whose wives also submitted to get on the ark. In all, God saved the whole family of Noah because of his obedience. This speaks volumes about the daily life of a man, even if we have limited details about his life other than the events surrounding the flood.

Chapter 6 of Genesis ends with a phrase that I hope the Lord would ascribe to me at the end of this life: "Thus Noah did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did." That type of obedience is commendable, and I pray that I find the grace and strength to obey the Lord in all things. That is a laudable pattern for a husband, father, and man of God, a Biblical patriarch who leads his family in God's ways no matter the cost. Imagine the pain in Noah's heart as he heard those he had warned, maybe others in his extended family, the parents of his daughters in law, as they saw the rain coming too late, and could not be saved due to their lack of faith and obedience to the command of the Lord.

In Genesis 8 we see the heart of Noah, that though we don't see any command to do so, in verse 20" Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma..." This picture of sacrifice, of offering that which is pure and undefiled to God, is beautiful. God then declares that He will never again destroy the whole Earth by flood. This is a covenant still in effect, but also reminds me of the promised judgement that will come by fire according to 2 Peter 3:10-15a. Let us be reminded today of the promise of God of judgement of this world again, and also the blessing that follows:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Since all things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements melt with intense heat! 

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation."

Will we be found faithful? Are we looking for, even hastening the day of God? What type of men ought we to be in light of all these things, including the example of Noah! What a responsibility given to men to lead their wives, children, and anything else given charge to them by God. We will continue our profiles next time with Abraham. I hope you will join me next time. 

2 Peter 2:5 AMP "And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people]."

Evangelism Friday- movie night

We have been blessed by many a Christian film, but most of the films produced with Christian themes have been produced for Christians by Christians. This is great for encouragement and edification, but with the rise of such films as Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and now Courageous we see that the Gospel can go forth through the medium of film. These films by Sherwood Pictures give a message of truth and challenge from God's Word.

I suggest taking the step that many have already taken, that is to put on a movie night at your home or church building with the intent to invite the lost to an excellent film that also includes a solid Gospel message. There are specific rules that govern public showing of movies like this, so be sure to check out this link before showing the film in a way that would require permissions beyond the simple purchase of a DVD.

See this link before scheduling a public showing to avoid any illegal public screening of movies. A warning from the site: ""When you purchase a regular DVD, the movie companies are giving you permission to view the film in your home with family members. The license provided with that DVD does not extend to a public showing of the film. This is true of all films." Whether or not you agree with special rules for public viewings, it is the law and Christians should go the extra mile to be sure to keep a good testimony before God and men.

With all that said, we suggest buying a copy of this DVD to show to your family, and maybe buy an extra copy to loan out or give to someone who would be blessed by this film. Use the link below to purchase from our Amazon store, or check the links in the right column of this blog to purchase from Christianbo

See this link before scheduling a public showing to avoid any illegal public screening of movies. A warning from the site: ""When you purchase a regular DVD, the movie companies are giving you permission to view the film in your home with family members. The license provided with that DVD does not extend to a public showing of the film. This is true of all films." Whether or not you agree with special rules for public viewings, it is the law and Christians should go the extra mile to be sure to keep a good testimony before God and men.

~Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature~

Patriarchy Profile- THE MAN Adam

 It is intentional that I have left some comments without reference, as I believe those interested should rather go to God's Word to find the truth rather than just having it fed to them. I have shared some references below, but these are by no means exhaustive. 

I challenge each one reading this article (which is targeted at men but profitable for all) to get into God's Word for yourself, and let the Holy Spirit show you the deep truths of His Word. This is part of being a man, and I hope to encourage that hunger for God's Word, yet if some need help I am willing so long as we are working together in this search for truth to obey for God's glory. 

As we consider Biblical patriarchy, and what we should learn from the men of Biblical history, we should take some time considering the example of the life of Adam, the first man on Earth. His name literally means "man", and I have enjoyed finding some pictures of the puzzle from God's Word.

Though Cain, Abel, and Seth are the only ones named, other children are recorded in Genesis 5:4 also as being fruit of this first marriage in history. We see from the Genesis account that Adam had other sons and daughters and that Adam lived 930 years. While we do not have more record of those children, one would wonder how many children one might have if they lives for over 900 years. Maybe Adam gave the Duggars a run for their money, maybe not. We just don't know. 

Adam and Eve had a marriage unlike any other in history. We can learn many good things from this first marriage and the physical parents of all mankind, but there are also some things that will be limited in scope as there is much silence also in the historical record. We know that Adam walked with God in the garden that was East of Eden. We know that Adam was a type of Jesus Christ in many ways and yet also failed in his calling from God and ultimately fell into sin even though he had firsthand knowledge of God's commands. What a variety of lessons we could learn from studying the life of Adam, but for now our focus will be on how Adam led his family.

Adam was formed first, and was given dominion over the animals. He was commissioned by God to name them and was told the boundaries of right and wrong in regards to the fruit of the trees in the garden. God had created this first man in the world, and then gave Adam a helper. We don't see the scope of what this role was in its entirety, but we see from many other passages that the woman's role was primarily not one of her own independence as Eve was literally created from Adam and as a suitable helper to him (Gen. 2:23). Eve was given a name by Adam, but we also see that she was known by Adam's name in God's sight (Gen.5:2) which would seem to be the practice by which we now see married women take the name of the husband.

The man is the spiritual head of the woman (1 Cor. 11:3-12; Eph.5:22-33; 1 Tim. 2:8-15) and given a great responsibility in the family, not lording it over those he leads, yet being firm in his convictions and living out the example of holiness for his family. While the Old Testament leaves some details unmentioned, we have lots of commentary on this first family in the New Testament. I encourage folks to consider the whole picture, and look up how often Adam is mentioned later on in the Bible.

As the Bible sums up Adam's history and genealogy, there is not much spoken concerning the parenting styles, discipline measures used, and so we are left to other men's lives to consider and need to continue looking if we are to find the pattern of Biblical patriarchy. Adam is not the poster child for parenting, as one son murdered the other, and Adam's weak leadership and protection of his wife allowed a serpent to deceive her and then join her in willful disobedience to God's clear and plain commands. When confronted, Adam blamed his wife (who he was responsible for) and in essence blamed God also, as it was God who gave the wife to him.

It appears that we will have to look a bit farther to find the perfect patriarch, husband and father. I am so glad that God didn't give up on the human race with the failure of the very first man. God's grace and mercy shine through in the failures of mankind, and it is through the victories and the defeats, the failures along with the successes that we see more clearly the complete picture of what God intended and allowed for marriage, parenting, and Biblical patriarchy. I am amazed at the mercy the Lord has shown to me in my failures, but more than anything, I am thankful for the perfect examples we see in God's own character on these topics.

Think for just a moment of some of the contrasts we find between Adam and God.

• Adam failed to protect his wife, whereas Christ paid the ultimate price and will protect His bride from the ultimate effects and even the presence of sin forever.
• Adam placed the blame on others for his faults, whereas Christ paid the debt for sin that was not His own. 
• Adam's sin brought death into the world and to all his progeny, whereas Christ died to keep sin from having power and dominion over His children. Christ provided life through death, and victory in seeming defeat.
• Adam's helper was deceived and fell into sin, whereas the Holy Spirit (Helper) is all wise and keeps us from sin.
• Adam had life breathed into his nostrils, whereas Christ is the Creator of life and gives eternal life to those who believe on Him.

I hope this short profile has helped you to see that even in human failure, we can see evidence of God's hand on a man's life. We see that in spite of the failures of man, God will accomplish His will, in His grace and mercy we get to be part of His plan for the world. While none of us live up completely to the fullness of God's character, we have many examples of the character of God through His dealings with mankind. Next up, we will look at a bit of the life of Noah to see what we can learn.

May we all seek the wisdom of the Lord and His strength to obey as we humbly accept the roles and responsibilities give to us by God. All glory to the Lord for the successes, and all glory to Him for His mercy as we falter along the way. One day, we shall see Him and we shall be like Him. What a glorious promise!