Romans 11

Today's Bible discussion of Romans 11 has left us echoing the words of the apostle;

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

When we consider the depths of God's mercy upon sinners such as we are, the riches of His grace toward those who deserve nothing, and especially as we see His sovereignty played out in human history, we gain insight into the glory and majesty of God.

See also Psalm 69 and consider the Messianic prophecies and the great love of Christ for ruined sinners. The latter verses of this psalm reveal God's end revealed in Christ;

v. 34-36
"Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
For God will save Zion
and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall dwell in it."

See also Psalm 69 and consider the Messianic prophecies and the great love of Christ for ruined sinners. The latter verses of this psalm reveal God's end revealed in Christ;

v. 34-36
"Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
For God will save Zion
and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall dwell in it."

Pride, humility, and judging ourselves rightly

Many people these days use the term "Pharisee" or "Pharisaical" when referring to standards of Biblical authority and teaching on any of a number of subjects. Whether one teaches the reality of an eternal Hell or  call out sins such as adultery or homosexuality, it seems every person quoting the Bible more than Ghandi or  Mother Theresa,  are branded as Pharisees. There are surely some who quote the Bible out of context to prove their own point, but I find that much of this branding is terribly inaccurate and even lends itself to slanderous accusations rather than edification.

I even have to disagree with the definition of "Pharisaical" as offered by Merriam Webster's online dictionary
 "marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness" as this definition also supposes ill intent or motivations on the part of the Pharisees.

Enduring for the truth

As we  walk through the trials that come with standing on God's Word,  this portion of Scripture has often served to remind us that we are not alone in our suffering. Indeed, there are many in this world who suffer for doing wrong, and they are rightly judged.  Conversely, there are also many who suffer for doing what is righteous and godly, too often at the hands of their brothers and sisters in Christ who have zeal without knowledge. I hope this letter serves to encourage those who have endured persecution for their stand on God's Word regarding marriage. 

We will begin by considering a portion of Peter's first epistle. Having endured great trials himself, Peter shares his heart with those receiving the letter and reminds them that the holy and righteous savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, also suffered wrong and patiently endured it. Surely we can agree that much of what we endure truly is momentary, light affliction compared with the public execution of God's only begotten Son. 

1 Peter 2 (NASB)

16 "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 

True patriarchy considered

The Christian patriarch of our day has an uphill battle ahead of him. With feminism taking a firm hold in most cultures around the world and the majority of the church, patriarchy may well be the most misunderstood Biblical teaching of our day. The word "patriarch" for some stirs up an image of a strict legalist who runs his home with an iron fist. Some in conservative Christian circles have laid hold of the term, but make special notice to distance themselves from certain aspects of patriarchy as demonstrated and prescribed in God's Word. This is sad to me, as in my opinion one of the necessary characteristics of a true patriarch is that of ruling well his own household, a belief which has been compromised to include egalitarianism.

Just as the characteristics of Biblical elders and deacons, the issue is less about how many children a man may have been blessed with (as some have held the standard), and more of how one cares for and manages that which is under his authority. The patriarch has been given a great responsibility from the Lord, a stewardship to lead his family in the ways of the Lord by teaching and example. If a man does not love his wife nor train his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, he has surely failed to accomplish the goals which were given to his charge.

The issue of headship is not one of worth nor even ability, but of obedience and faithfulness. A weak and simple man who will be faithful to obey all that God has given to his charge is truly more effective in representing Christ than would one with great intellect and accolades of men that relies on his own strength and disobeys the Lord in favor of doing things his own way.

A man is truly strong when he recognizes that he is weak, humbly allowing the strength of God to be manifested in his life. After all, the picture of a husband and wife is to proclaim Christ and the church. With the Lord Jesus Christ as our supreme example, we fall on our faces in humility and gratitude for the privilege to serve our families as Christ served the church. He is the King of Kings, yet His triumphal entry into Jerusalem was on the foal of a donkey. The One whose blood would cleanse away every stain of sin took upon Himself the duties of a servant, washing the feet of those under His authority. These pictures of humility and exemplary service surely show us that we should not be prideful or harsh to those under our charge.

In contrast, Jesus also said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Surely, the Savior is trustworthy in all things. Though husbands and fathers are surely human and quite capable of mistakes, nevertheless they are the trusted servants to whom Christ Himself has entrusted with a charge of headship and leadership. Thus, the godly man who understands his place will be trustworthy. There surely will be conflict and disagreement in some situations that arise in the home. The mark of a true patriarch will not be that there is never conflict, but rather how he leads through that conflict. 

"Good morning?"... and so it began....

I went into the Knox County Jail last night with Justin Humes for ministry in the Saturday night service. This time is such a blessing to me in many ways, and yet a struggle in which I find myself not knowing what to say. It is a struggle in that, though I spent a little time in jail, it was many years ago and I don't relate as well as I used to in this context. It was also a blessing in that I don't relate as well because I am a new creation in Christ and the old man is dead. Now a new man has been made in the image of Christ Jesus. Every time I step foot in the jail for ministry, I find myself confronted with my past and last night was no exception.

Subject to their husbands in everything?

I often lean pretty heavy on the men anyway, as I am a man who takes my role very seriously before the Lord and can see my own failures too often. I wish to lead with love and grace for the protection and edifying of my family, and feel the burden of responsibility on a husband and father may be even greater than I had previously thought. How much we need the Lord's help as we are incapable of accomplishing this or anything else in the flesh!

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.23 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. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."


Ephesians 5 says that wives submit to their husbands, 1) as to the Lord, 2) in everything. This command is not worded the same way regarding submitting to one another or to those in authority over us in other passages. Those passages are seemingly more general and in part seem ambiguous as to when we should submit one to another, whereas the husband/wife and Christ/church are specified as "in everything" We ought to obey God rather than man as the apostles did in Acts 5:29 , yet I have been considering whether this is the same with a husband and wife as it would be with other Christians.

The following passage is what got me thinking as it says that the man who is disobedient to the Word should still be obeyed. This passage explains:

1 Peter 3: "1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands(not all men); that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:"

Here Peter speaks of a woman respecting and being in subjection to her husband even when he is disobedient to the word, being won without a word. It speaks of trust in God rather than crafting a plan that is wise in human understanding. This mindset does not agree with our culture, not even church culture where women often feel that if their husband is not leading well that they should fill in the role for the men.

First of all, we must recognize that a wife in this situation could be wrong in her assertion of her husband's error. The point is also often missed that the problem could be a disobedient wife. Let us not forget the curse on Eve and her daughters "and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." The charge is given to the man to rule over his wife, and the responsibility is left on his head if things go wrong. If I don't agree with how our local judge does his job, that does not mean I have the authority to take his place. Much more so, a man who is ordained by God as head of his home cannot be disregarded even if he is wrong, which I fully admit happens often. 

As Paul wrote in Romans 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness!" 

and again in verse 33: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Whether or not we understand how and why God has placed this authority in order, we are bound to obey it and see that He is always just and righteous! 

What then can a man do if he has not lived up to his role? He can recognize his fault, agree with God and His Word, and proceed in the power of the Holy Spirit as he has been called to do. It must be understood that if the men will not see their error and take up the lead for their family, it does not fall to the women to take over, it just means the men need to step up! David would not harm God's anointed man in Saul, though Saul sought and attempted many times to kill him, and this serves as an extreme yet appropriate example of trusting the Lord even when people fail.

There are many things a woman may still do for her family that fit within this structure, but examining each decision through the lens of God's Word will yield better results than using human wisdom and logic, which so often is contrary to God's wisdom and commands.

This message from Peter does not sound to me like those men who "ask the boss" permission or fearfully avoid making decisions, but men who value their wives counsel and lead in God's ways even when his wife disagrees. Men will give an account to God for their actions and how they lead their families.Wives will give no such account and should consider how blessed they are not to have that accounting with God.
The notion of husband and wife submitting to one another is an incorrect understanding of Ephesians 5 and is contradictory to Scripture. Placing the general submissive relationship of all saints with the husband and wife scenario could pollute people's perception of God Himself.

1 Corinthians 11: 3 "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (note that God and Christ are one, as husband and wife are one, with different roles but unity)
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

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This is not an issue of worth, value, gifting for service, love, or anything but authority. The wife is co-heir with her husband of Christ, salvation, and righteousness. She is precious, to be honored and loved, but she is not to be placed over her husband in authority for any reason. 

A husband certainly can delegate jobs to his wife as she is able and available, as Christ has given us jobs to do and equipped us by His grace to carry out all things that we are commanded to do. Still the authority and the responsibility will always lie on Him and the husband in kind. What a beautiful picture of Christ and His Bride we have here, that we serve as He gives us ability, but always under His authority. Christ has given Himself for us in death, but more so in life 

God's Word is preserved!

How we approach the interpretation of Scripture is key to applying it in our lives. We must use proper hermeneutics to find what is there rather than what is easy to accept. One recent doctrinal argument from my dear brother in Christ was built solely around the KJV being the only real Bible, saying that the English translation is superior to the original languages and that if the Bible uses a certain English word in the KJV then that is without question exactly what it means. This is errant I believe, and so I wanted to share my thoughts on this topic. Understand my heart is not to divide the body, but to see unity as we come to God's Word as He saw fit to have it written by men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Hebrew Bible

Rejecting the original language writings or considering them currently inferior to English  would in my estimation lead to the conclusion that Moses didn't really know what the Law meant, nor did Jesus or Paul, as none of them saw fit to study, speak, or write in English. It is either that or that God chose a different language for this dispensation, which would reject the Jews as having God's Word in the current era if my logic is correct. I don't mean to oversimplify this issue, as I know many dear brothers and sisters are adamant about their position.

If KJV is the only authoritative Word of God, the Jesus even misquoted Isaiah when He read the scroll, as He uses different words comparing those passages in the KJV. Add in the fact that the first edition read in Exodus 20 "Thou shalt commit adultery" (OOPS!!) and you realize quickly that any work of man is fallible, which is why we rely on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for our Scriptures.

Reading the notes of the translators of the King James edition, they stated the same as fact, that they were not inerrant but did the best a human could do when handling something so important as God's Word. The argument I often get in return to questioning the KJV as the only English Bible was "So you don't really think God is capable of preserving His Word?!!!!" This argument is inflammatory and illogical. I believe the heart of those who have said this to me is pure and their desire is to stand up for God's truth, but nonetheless the argument seems errant to me. I am not saying that any other version is perfect either, but only the original documents which God truly inspired, which agree in all fundamentals though they have been handed down for many centuries through copies and copies of copies, etc.

Chinese Bible

I do believe God has preserved and still preserves His Word in the original languages even if we are not cautious or diligent enough to seek it out, which I believe is why we have thousands of copies in the original languages. I believe that one will find the authentic message of the Gospel in any language (unless perversions are intentionally added by the work of man which has been submitted as a theory) and that we need not know these languages in order to study God's Word. Studying the original languages is surely beneficial as long as it is done accurately, and some scholars have wisely done so in such things as the Strong's concordance and other such tools. 

This is more broad a discussion than we started with, but I am still learning all along the way by God's grace and am so blessed to see His hand guiding me as I learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. Have I mentioned lately that I am more in love with the Lord today than I have ever been, and that the more I learn the more I see I am nothing without Christ and still yet a child in His wisdom? Just thought I would mention that!

Grace to you and peace through our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The mercy of God on King David

As I was pondering God's word this morning, I took some time to consider the life of King David. This Psalmist of Israel shares more emotion, pain, fear, and other aspects of humanity that any other author (in my opinion) used by the Holy Spirit to pen the Bible . These passages were recently brought up in another discussion, but I was struck primarily by the mercy of God upon David in his life and his legacy.

This king of Israel was historically and definitely a murderer and an adulterer, and yet due to his repentance in Psalm 51, God saw David as righteous. Evidently, though David was forgiven by God, the lesson still stands as a warning for those who seek other men's wives in direct disobedience to God's law. Consider David's life as a whole, as we do have much of his life accounted in God's Word, and see the blessings of God, the providence of God, the protection of God upon David.

1 Kings 15
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Solomon, David's son by Bathsheba, was also given mercy in God's sight, having disobeyed the command to not marry foreign wives. Still in this passage, we see David's heart as pure before the Lord. Solomon did build the temple as God ordained, as the plans were given to David. Solomon penned much of the poetic portion of the Old Testament, and yet with all the spiritual wisdom he was granted, the obvious typology of Christ in the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) was still tainted in our historical knowledge by the marrying of foreign wives who turned his heart away from God.

1 Kings 11
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

I am so blessed by God's gracious gift of my wife, that she loves me and labors with me, the helper that God has provided. She has not turned me astray to worship idols, but rather has been by my side as together we search the depths of God's Word and seek to obey without reservation. The Bible tells us that he who finds a wife finds a good thing. I have found that good thing, and pray that God shows mercy and blessing on our family as He  did with David.

Resurrection Sunday

I posted this early this morning on my Facebook wall and thought it worthy of a brief blog post.

"Many will see what this is about and then skip reading it. Go on til the end please as the last phrase is key.

Mark 16: 1"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9[Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.

12After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either."

With hundreds of first hand accounts of this testimony, still most will deny it ever happened. Most believe in a historical account of a crucifixion, but deny the power over the grave, the risen Savior. We see the Lord Jesus and then go away and report that He is alive..... but many refuse to believe it, even those we think are with us.

Our Savior is risen, He is alive and well, seated at the right hand of the Father, and He ever lives to make intercession for us. Hallelujah, what a Savior!!!"

Groves letter to Darby- Unity in the body of Christ

This is and has been one of my favorite documents in recent church history, shared with me by J.B Nicholson when I emailed him concerning some struggles I was having within a local church . It reminds me of Paul and Peter's confrontation, a sharp but loving rebuke for where he had strayed all the while desiring reconciliation and pointing out how much the body of Christ needs one another.

Thanks to Mike Donahue for posting, read the whole post (and other great articles) at The Upward Call. You can order the book Father of Faith Missions: The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves at the link below. 

Knox County Jail ministry

Last night at Knox County Jail went well as Mark went in for the Saturday night worship service. Justin Humes went in also, fresh off the road returning from North Carolina just 19 hours earlier. Justin shared from the book of Judges chapter 16, about the life of Samson with the first group of 6 men. I then shared my testimony with this group. As often happens, the group was a mixed bag of those looking to learn from God's Word and worship together, and also of the jokesters who want to get out of their cells and see friends. This first group was such a group, with a young man bragging a lot about what he did while under the influence of "bath salts", glorying in his sin and hoping to distract the rest of the group. After the meeting, this young man seemed more calm and spoke of his family and how he wished he had not hurt his family through his sin.

Samson's strength was from God, but his sinful desires to lay with the women of the enemy brought him much pain. Samson didn't seem to learn from the first, second, or even third times that Delilah tricked him and bound him, supposing to deliver him for money's sake to his enemies. I spoke with this young man about how sin is bondage to us, but that freedom comes only in Christ. Justin followed this up with a few verses from John's Gospel chapter 8. 

For the second group, Justin spoke on Joshua 7 and the sin of Achan after God delivered Jericho for Joshua. The sin of Achan, taking forbidden goods that God had banned and hiding them after this battle, cost his family their lives along with 36 men who died at Ai. Achan's sin of coveting, lying, and then hiding the evidence (God knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts) effected the whole nation with fear as they lost their trust in God and trusted the wisdom of man in the next battle. The people convinced Joshua that Ai was so small they could win the city with their own power, and so they sent just 3,000 men in man's wisdom and were defeated. 

While it is sobering to consider the defeat of God's people and the shame that was brought to the name of Israel at that time, it is beautiful to consider that once they did what was right before God and purged the sin from the camp, God then delivered Ai into their hands and gave the victory as promised. This time, they did things God's way instead of relying on the strength of man.

The second group had 3 men who were very attentive, short timers who seemed very blessed by the Word of God. This opportunity to preach God's Word, share the Gospel, and serve the Lord is a great blessing to me and I thank the Lord for allowing me to see all He is doing in Knox County Jail. 

Please pray for all those who hear God's Word through study times, personal visits, worship services, and so much more that the Lord is using to souls to Christ at KCJ. Many minister week in and week out with no fanfare in the jails and prisons all over the world. These love and care for the souls of men and women who are incarcerated for any of a thousand reasons. I thank God that He saved me and now uses me in some small way to bless the lives of others and proclaim His Gospel in this way. 

Mark Cowperthwaite

Wanted: Men of Honor to fulfill James 1:27

‎"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: 

to visit orphans and widows in their trouble." ~ James 1:27

How do you think we can best live out this verse (and its context) within the church with our sisters in Christ and the fatherless children? I know that words are not enough, rather actions will ultimately show our true heart. I can not say "Be warmed and filled" or expect a woman to adequately fulfill the role of mother and father to their children, especially  when I have the ability to do more than speak, but act. God has granted me a wonderful wife who helps me see the needs of others, who sacrifices herself for the sake of others. I am so blessed! 

What of those multitudes of children in our churches who are fatherless due to "deadbeat dad syndrome"? Are they our "orphans" too? I believe they are as the word more commonly used in other passages is actually "fatherless" and I am ready to do my part to help. Are these children supposed to pay for their mother's or father's past sins? Should the past promiscuity of a woman who has now come to Christ continue to keep her outside the protection and leadership of a godly man in marriage? Will men stand up and seek to help our sisters even though it is a difficult task? Will a brave man among us stand up and marry a single mother and help raise her children as his own with love and integrity?

Do single mothers recognize that raising children on their own, while necessary at times, is not usually the best thing for their children? Do we see the God given call of men to lovingly lead and nurture women and children in the grace of God in Christ? Men of God, rise up and be counted, love and protect your sisters in gentleness and purity. Women of faith, will you submit to the leadership of a godly man as to Christ Himself? Do you think there are no such men in the church? I believe there are such men, though many don't see the immense need!

My heart is burdened tonight, and Sara and I have a passionate desire to help ease the burdens of our sisters in Christ who labor night and day to make a living and raise children by themselves, and we pray that God will make clear His will for what we can do as we are not satisfied to merely talk. We would like to help, but don't know where to start. We encourage unmarried ladies also to consider marrying a man with a child, as this is how our family began. My first marriage ended in divorce, and I was a single father for 5 years. Sara had the courage to step into our lives and become the mother my son needed, and God has blessed us with 4 more children since. We see the blessings of the Lord that come from this selfless sacrifice, and you know what? It doesn't feel like sacrifice when you realize the love of a child, the bonds of family, and how good it feels to obey our Father's commands.

Please feel free to email us if you are involved in or interested in such a ministry. Our desire is to glorify our Savior by living out the love He has given to us for sharing. I believe this is a critical part of loving our neighbor as ourselves. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your insights and prayer. Confidential emails will be kept private, so please let us know if you would like us to share your suggestions with others. 

Mark and Sara Cowperthwaite

cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Diversity, mercy, and non-essentials

I found this video this morning and thought it appropriate to share. God has shown us so much in our experiences as we have traveled across the country, and plenty right here at home. Some churches lack diversity of race, while others reject those outside a certain income bracket or preferential acceptance. I was told recently that you cannot build a local church with only poor people, while I have also seen that a church in some areas of our land would welcome those of different skin colors in their midst, yet a black woman would never bring her children to "that white church" who would love to welcome any child of God into their fold. The suppositions and cultural barriers can be broken down, but it will not happen if we remain silent.

We have learned that there is much of God's Word that is very clear, while other portions seem to have a diversity of possible interpretations. While some essential doctrines such as the deity of Christ and the means of salvation are clearly spelled out, still some would pervert God's Word to make salvation a human accomplishment prepared by our works. Some have great convictions before the Lord that they must practice, and then impose these convictions on others without mercy. Sadly, I count myself in that group at times and for that I ask forgiveness. I often fail, and I thank those who have lovingly corrected me seeking restoration rather than wagging the finger back and ruining relationships over misunderstandings. The body of Christ is to be united, yet it seems to be at war so often.

In the course of our experience we have seen white churches, black churches, and socially diverse churches. We have seen poor churches, rich churches, and economically diverse churches. We currently live in a state with almost no racial diversity, and so the churches do not seem on first appearance to be ethnically diverse, yet these would welcome any to come who are called by the name of Jesus Christ. This video may be more appropriate in content with specific cultures and regions, yet it sparked within me a desire to see like Christ sees.

In recent days, we have seen that our culture rejects many Biblical traditions, and even some Biblical commands. Many churches are equally guilty of judging without knowledge and forcing people to take sides in non-essentials. Many churches will argue over the color of the carpet in a meeting hall while others sit around a fireplace in a home that barely fits the occupants in seats at all, with the children spilled out on the floor while they sing and praise the Lord in truth. There are also some that have ornate buildings designated for gatherings of Christians who have the same experience of true worship , while there could be dead tradition even in the home church. The truth will not be found in the surroundings, the background of those gathered, of racial or economical lines, but in the hearts of the worshipers who have been called out from the world for a time in order to worship, pray, have fellowship, to teach and be taught the Word of God. These will reenter the world after a time to reach out with love and mercy, saving others from the fire of God's judgment, in compassion wishing to show the love of Christ rather than the judgment of man.

The traditions of men have no place in the church of God, nor does the fear of following God alone no matter the consequence. Many have been persecuted for their faith and practice of God's Word while others have been cast aside from the fellowship of Christians just for having an opinion. This is not how Christ desires His Bride to be. His heart is hurting when He looks down on His divided Bride, the disjointed body in which the hand says to the foot "I have no need of you" and so the body of Christ is often failing to accomplish all the Father prepared for it to do. Will we walk away from our own ideas and suppositions, preferences and comfort zones, to follow Christ, or will we make our own ways higher than His ways?

Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray for wisdom and guidance as we seek to do His will outside denominational boundaries. May we act and speak what we say we believe.

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!”

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]."

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!

The Light of the world is Jesus

Click on the picture to enlarge

Sometimes late at night, when everyone is asleep, I just get to thinking about the Lord. I spend some time thinking about what it means to be a Christian man and what a blessed privilege it is to know the Light of the world is leading me in truth and wisdom. I looked at this verse in Psalm 43 and thought it fitting to put a visual reminder for myself on my Facebook page.

I enjoy using images of God's Creation (and often cool buildings) to present a Biblical truth, and it always serves as a reminder of the unique responsibility I have to serve the Lord my God as an ambassador for Christ, a husband who longs to be like Christ in my dealings with my wife, and a father to my children as God is the Father of us all. What a challenge, and one that I could never live up to without His light and truth which lead me to His holy hill and His dwelling. Some day I will be in the presence of God forever!

I challenge those Christians who read this blog to remind yourself today of your right and responsibility to speak boldly about the Light that shines in darkness and the only One who can save a soul from darkness forever. Speak about this beautiful Light and remind yourself often that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. We have a blessed hope in Christ Jesus and I just never get tired of talking about Him, my Savior, Redeemer, and King.

What is Biblical Patriarchy?

As we have decided to look at Biblical patriarchy, we might do well to look at what we mean by using this terminology. Since the phrase is not used in the Bible, and also the phrase is not used widely in society, we will share how some major proponents of Biblical patriarchy define it. See the links below for full articles that we suggest you consider.

The Tenets of Biblical patriarchy - Wikipedia
Biblical Patriarchy - Vision Forum Ministries
Patriarchy - Wikipedia

From these sources, you will see that there are many different interpretations of Biblical patriarchy. Some look primarily to the Old Testament, others to the Bible in its entirety. To be sure, there are not many references to how a family functions in the New Testament outside of those referencing the OT. We do have a very diverse history to consider in God's Word, including some good and not-so-good examples. What we don't have is a definition of terms to some extent, and so we will be focusing on profiling men in the Bible along with their families.

For our consideration here, we wish to state up front that our understanding is that God created man, and is often referred to as "Father" in the Bible. This patriarchal picture of God Himself is going to be the richest example we will find of the positive aspects of manhood. We get a picture from some of the names of God. Use the links below for an associated study from Blue Letter Bible online. One should be very careful not to add God's characteristics to man, but we would do well to consider the character of God the Father when we consider God's perfect plan for the family and how we ought to see the father role in families.

• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)- Men are called to lead, protect, and care for their family. 
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)- A man is called to integrity, to lead with consistency. 
• Qanna (Jealous)- As God is jealous when His beloved ones seek after another, so should man be jealous. This is no petty human emotion, but the result of dedication and responsibility. 
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)- Men are commanded to provide for the family. If a man does not work, then he should not eat, and so we ought to be providers for our families. 

A study of the character of the Lord Jesus Christ will also yield great results in the role of the husband. With the picture from God's Word of Christ as the Bridegroom and the church as the bride of Christ, we will learn much more about the role of men as husbands. Some examples we find at first glance:

• Taking the name of the Bridegroom. The church is the bride of Christ, having its identity through Him.
• Christ is the Savior and provider for His bride
• We are commanded to love our wives as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for her. 
• We are called in James 4 :4-5 says that Christians who love the world are adulteresses. 

The term "Biblical patriarchy" is not a Biblical term, but is based on principles understood from God's Word. In my opinion any word such as "religion" can not be redefined without extreme caution, as it is used in the English Bible translations. With the regular use of terms in the Bible, we must be careful to define them as dictated by context and principles of Biblical translation.

To conclude our look at what Biblical patriarchy is, we consider this to be a good working definition: 

"social organization, as exemplified in Biblical writings, that is marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line" We will add to this thought as we progress and see examples of men who led their families throughout Biblical history. 

In our next article, we plan to profile Adam. We hope you will join us as we explore Biblical patriarchy.