Faith – Page 12 – Dobra Family Ministry

Armed Citizen Response in 15 Seconds, Police Response Over One Hour!

“They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.” Judges 5:8 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jdg.5.8.NKJV

When the men of a nation turn away from God they also tend to turn away from their responsibility to defend their families, communities, and nation! It’s a “moral vanity” as Jack Carr has labeled it (https://a.co/bgOdVwy). “Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.”

Deborah was mocking the men of Israel after God gave her the victory! “for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Judges 4:9 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jdg.4.9.NKJV

# Trained Men
“he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them” Genesis 14:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.14.14.ESV

Indiana hero stops mass shooting in 15 seconds!

Be armed, get trained, and be prepared to protect your loved ones and community from psychopaths!

We need hundreds of equipped and trained God fearing men in every home and public setting! “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.15.13.NKJV

Indiana hero stops mass shooting in 15 seconds! https://notthebee.com/article/update-indiana-police-say-good-guy-with-a-gun-stopped-mall-shooter-in-15-seconds-with-10-rounds

Greenwood Park Mall Shooting Destroys Gun Control Narrative Exercising Constitutional Carry https://youtu.be/8I_6TPWcFu0

Yes, Elisjsha Dicken Is a Good Samaritan — and He Deserves a Medal https://stream.org/yes-elisjsha-dicken-is-a-good-samaritan-and-he-deserves-a-medal/

“Elisjsha Dicken did not escalate anything; in fact, he dramatically and decisively de-escalated it in the only possible way, given the circumstances… [reject] radically pacifist or “namby-pamby” view of Jesus — the view that he would never endorse an act of violence for any purpose, even if it’s necessary to save lives. It implies that Elisjsha Dicken should have run for cover and allowed the Greenwood shooter to kill another dozen or two people. That’s wrong, if not downright blasphemous… When Elisjsha Dicken pulled out his gun to stop a shooting spree, he had every reason to believe he might attract the shooter’s aim and be killed himself. Fortunately, he was not, and he is among the living whose lives he saved. If Elisjsha Dicken had been killed, the rest of us could at least take comfort in the words of Jesus as quoted in John 15:13. ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Elisjsha Dicken is not only a Good Samaritan. He’s a very good one. Give him a medal.”

Hero Stops Mass Shooter And People Are Complaining About It? (Indiana Shooting) https://youtu.be/Nh9FAe1uf84

Bonus: Heroic Bystander Shoots Attacker in Jerusalem After Israeli Man Wounded in Terrorist Stabbing

Heroic Bystander Shoots Attacker in Jerusalem After Israeli Man Wounded in Terrorist Stabbing http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2022/july/israeli-man-moderately-wounded-in-jerusalem-stabbing-attack

“Israeli police say a Palestinian terrorist stabbed a man on a bus in Jerusalem on Tuesday before being shot dead by a bystander… A Ynet news photographer shot the alleged attacker before officers arrived at the scene.

“’I got out of the car, loaded my gun and realized it was a terror attack. The stabber came to me, I did not hesitate and fired one bullet at him. I heard him praying in Arabic,’ Meshi Ben Ami told the Kan public broadcaster.”

Christian men and the primal task to protect spouses and children
Christian men, you can NOT outsource your duty to protect your family. Period. https://ministry.family.blog/2022/05/27/christian-men-and-the-primal-task-to-protect-spouses-and-children/

If you are considering Conceal Carry Insurance from USCCA use this referral link and support the blog https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/referral?id=MDAxMGEwMDAwMVFDWmJrQUFI&tID=5bf43111b0cd6

Uvalde Update: Over one hour to stop the mass shooter!

There must be, at least, a discussion about the corrupt incompetence of the response to the Uvalde school shooting! Really, an investigation into how a police force can fail so badly. It wouldn’t hurt to question the mental stability of school officials that think a no-guns sticker has the force, power, or magic to stop murderers from entering!

However, let’s not disregard two spiritual components:

First, As noted above, when men turn away from God, they tend to turn away from the duty to protect. It’s a “moral vanity” as Jack Carr has labeled it (https://a.co/bgOdVwy). Judges 5:8 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jdg.5.8.NKJV

Second, Hired hands have no skin in the game. In other words, depending on a stranger to protect your loved ones is not a good idea. You are the good shepherd of your flock. Protect them. John 10:13-14 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.10.13-14.NKJV

Cowardice and lack of training are not the same — THERE IS NO EXCUSE https://youtu.be/u_f6lvwVyfE

“The facts are disturbing. The level of cowardice and incompetence displayed keeps getting worse. Something needs to change. Stay tuned.”

Language Alert – possibly warranted give the situation.

https://youtu.be/u_f6lvwVyfE?t=5755 closing thoughts, defund the police?, BLM…

https://youtu.be/u_f6lvwVyfE?t=6046 can’t outsource security!

Uvalde update : You were wrong https://youtu.be/xrCMWXfvAzU

Security footage from the Uvalde school just dropped. Watch cops run away from the shooter and scroll through phones while kids were getting shot https://notthebee.com/article/heres-the-security-footage-inside-the-uvalde-school-watch-as-cops-run-away-from-the-shooter-and-casually-use-their-phones-while-little-kids-got-shot

Exclusive: Watch Uvalde school shooting video obtained by Statesman showing police response https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/07/12/uvalde-school-shooting-video-of-robb-elementary-shows-police-response/65370384007/

“57 minutes after the gunman entered the school, and 54 minutes after police arrived INSIDE, law enforcement still held back. This is all you can expect for your protection if anti-gunners get their way.” https://twitter.com/gunowners/status/1547004000893124610?s=21&t=yXhW4lbvi3o57RpAp9JRxw

May God have mercy on us!

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” Genesis‬ ‭14:14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“The right to life is a good example of what legal historians refer to as an objective right: it is objective in the sense that it exists outside ourselves and is unalienable… The right to life imposes obligations: you must do everything in your power to preserve it.”
#SlayingLeviathan https://canonpress.com/products/slaying-leviathan/

AMENDMENT II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
https://ministry.family.blog/america/second-amendment/

The latest Gabs from Mick Dobra (@mickdobra). Glorify God, share the Gospel, protect your family…

Christian men and the primal task to protect spouses and children

Christian men, you can NOT outsource your duty to protect your family. Period.

You can NOT use the “I’ll call A MAN (911) to rescue us if in trouble” excuse. BE THE MAN!

You are the man God has given the duty to.

Protect your children. Mind, body, and soul. Period.

No more excuses. Protect them.

If your children’s school does not have security in place, REMOVE THEM IMMEDIATELY and PROTECT THEM! Obviously the school administration is mentally ill if they think a NO GUNS sticker will magically protect your children.

KEEP: TO PROTECT AS A SWORD-BEARER

In “Genesis 2:15, we learn how man is to fulfill his calling: ‘The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.’ … Work. To work is to labor to make things grow… Keep. To keep is to protect and to sustain progress already achieved… KEEP: TO PROTECT AS A SWORD-BEARER shamar, which is translated by such English terms as “watch,” “guard,” “protect,” “take under custody,” or “exercise care” … His calling to Christian men is similar: we are to watch over and keep safe all that the Lord has put under our care… our basic mandate as Christian men is to cultivate, build, and grow (both things and people), but also to stand guard so that people and things are kept safe-so that the fruit of past cultivating and nurturing is preserved… In our families, our presence is to make our wives and children feel secure and at ease. At church, we are to stand for truth and godliness against the encroachment of worldliness and error. In society, we are to take our places as men who stand up against evil and who defend the nation from threat of danger.” The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men by Richard D. Phillips https://a.co/hPkBUjb

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” I Timothy 5:8 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1ti.5.8.NKJV

“Many don’t feel a responsibility to be prepared to protect their spouses and children when that primal task can be outsourced; just call 911. A moral vanity has trumped the obligation to protect their lives and the lives of those they love; that is the job of the police in a civilized society, after all… Self-reliant men, capable of extreme violence in defense of their lives, their families, and of freedom makes some people nervous.” — In the Blood: A Thriller (Terminal List Book 5) by Jack Carr (emphasis added) https://a.co/bgOdVwy

“A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” Proverbs 25:26 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.25.26.NKJV

“Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”” Nehemiah 4:13-14 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/neh.4.13-14.NKJV

“The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep.” John 10:12-13 HCSB

Witnesses: Police Refused to Enter School as Uvalde Shooter Rampaged, Subdued Parents Begging Them to Act https://redstate.com/bonchie/2022/05/26/witnesses-police-refused-to-enter-school-as-uvalde-shooter-rampaged-subdued-parents-begging-them-to-act-n570190

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle— My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.” Psalms 144:1-2 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.144.1-2.NKJV

Household Prayer: Rule Well

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” … God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” … God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:26, 28, 31 NASB1995

Well brothers, the school season is almost at an end. I hope and pray it was a joy and a blessing for you as it was for me. I have enjoyed weekly scripture meditation and prayer for you and our community. Until next season starts I pray we love, enjoy, instruct, and disciple our families well. I pray we rule well in our households. Genesis 1:26,28,31; Eph. 6:4

“Dominion is a fact – human beings simply have it. It’s God’s doing. We can’t abdicate. Human beings possess power over all the creatures of the world… But dominion isn’t arbitrary power, at least not originally. In the Christian faith human dominion is subject to God’s dominion. And it is informed by God’s Law – his moral standard, his holiness.” (In the House of Tom Bombadil by C.R. Wiley)

“The reason that God creates man on the earth, according to Genesis, is for productive, representative rulership. This is what it means to exercise dominion: to fruitfully order the world in God’s stead…” (It’s good to be a man: A handbook for Godly masculinity by Michael Foster and Dominic Bnonn Tennant)

“Families are the nurseries of all societies; and the first combinations of mankind. Well-ordered families naturally produce a good order in other societies… Every serious Christian is concerned, that he may be serviceable in the world… but are you not a member of some family? If that family may be your means, O Christian, become a well-regulated family, in that point you will become serviceable; I had almost said, incomprehensibly serviceable.” A Family Well Ordered by Cotton Mather (1699) modern English translation by Patrick Doucette

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.18.19.KJV

“You May here observe a most comfortable connection, between, He will, and they shall. Says the Lord, He will Command his children, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. It seems, if every one that is owner of a family, would faithfully command, and manage those that belong unto him, through the blessing of God; they would generally keep His way, and His law… ‘If parents did their duties as they ought, the Word publically preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the Church, but only without the Church, among infidels: God would so pour out His grace upon the children of His people, and hear prayers for them, and bless endeavors for their holy education, that we should see the promises made good unto our seed.’” A Family Well Ordered by Cotton Mather (1699) modern English translation by Patrick Doucette

Special Focus: Food Production

# Work and Keep
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.2.15.ESV

Defy Tyrants: The Biblical Mindset towards Food Prepping https://youtu.be/rnAopFw5YsY

“Mike Brabo, an expert in growing food and surviving under communism, shares his short thoughts in this video and more to come. SHARE his full talk with others so they can be warned of the times ahead. The difference between hoarding and prudence is found in scripture. When men hoard, they amass bigger barns for themselves with no thoughts on God’s purposes (Luke 12:13-24), however, prudent Christians should forsee the evil coming and hide themself (Proverbs 22:3) and store up enough to sustain themselves, and enough to give to those in need (2 Corinthians 8:12).” https://rumble.com/vt3ma7-the-fragile-food-supply-and-food-for-life.html?mref=hqg49&mrefc=2

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JackCarrUSA: Peter Zeihan: What Keeps Him Up At Night https://youtu.be/aHTDSU9BhxI

“Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist and a renowned author, speaker, and consultant. His work includes analysis on global politics, demographics, and geography to better understand economic, cultural, political and military developments to predict future trends. His firm Zeihan on Geopolitics provides custom analytical products to a vast array of clients including energy companies, financial institutions, agricultural interests, and the U.S. military. Zeihan is the author of three critically acclaimed books, The Accidental Superpower, The Absent Superpower, and Disunited Nations. His fourth book, The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization, will be published in June.”

Food and energy resource prices likely to continue increasing in the near term Forward Observer https://youtu.be/Px23VBXFMXk

“Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat futures continue to near or hit daily price increases. The primary driver of price increases is the war in Europe as commodities markets brace for global trade disruptions.” Wheat prices are up nearly 32% over the last 12months alone…China’s actions will likely put pressure on world markets and drive up prices for the selected commodities. Analysts believe China has already stockpiled between 60-70% of the world’s grain reserves. Oil prices in London rose 7.7% on Wednesday, wheat 7.6%, aluminum rose 1.3%, and corn futures climbed 2.9% to their highest since 2012.”

Reading List: Lent, Church Planting, Evil of Communism, Crypto Protecting Ukrainian Wealth, Be Prepared, Food Prices https://ministry.family.blog/2022/03/04/reading-list-lent-church-planting-evil-of-communism-crypto-protecting-ukrainian-wealth-be-prepared-food-prices/

Get your means of production in order!

“When I think about wealth in the future, I really think about owning the means of production. Here’s why: https://mailchi.mp/forwardobserver/fo-heres-what-will-happen-to-wealth?e=b5e04d4dbd

“Over the summer, I read several books on hyperinflation. Here are a few things I learned:
1. Nearly everyone gets wiped out.
2. Food was scarce.
3. Those that owned the means of production of raw materials — lumber, ore, mines, crops, etc. — got richer.
One thing I’ve started doing is pricing financial assets in the means of production.”

Reading List: Romans 13, false teachers, heat, fuel, meat, means of production https://ministry.family.blog/2021/11/18/reading-list-romans-13-false-teachers-heat-fuel-meat-means-of-production/

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” Genesis‬ ‭14:14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The latest Gabs from Mick Dobra (@mickdobra). Glorify God, share the Gospel, protect your family…

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

Household Prayer: Wife, Helpmeet, Battle Buddy

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:25-33‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.5.25-33.ESV

Brothers today I’m praying for my wife and would encourage the same for you. I’m praying specifically that they have joy and peace in their role. I’m praying that we would “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (Eph. 5:25)

A book I read a few years ago, The Household and the War for the Cosmos: Recovering a Christian Vision for the Family by C.R. Wiley, takes a look at the place of the household in God’s divine order of the cosmos from Ephesians. Christ’s defeat of death and Satan and His redemption of His people (1:10,21,22; 2:4-10,19-22) , the establishment of the Church and its work (3:10,11), and then the next battle formation is surprisingly the household. Wives, husbands, children, and bondservants (5:22,25; 6:1,4,5,9). Then it concludes with the armor for the battle (6:10-20).

With that in mind I pray we would see how important our households are in the divine order and the battle for the cosmos, and that we would pray for our helpmeet in this important work.

Household Prayer: Solid Foundations

Brothers, I’m praying that we would be capable swordsmen able to wield the Word of God well to be disciple makers and biblical counselors in our homes. I pray God would equip us to develop a cultural theology for our families. God has us in this world for a reason, and it is not so we can float along in the worlds cultural lazy river! I pray we are establishing a solid foundation (Matt. 7:24) in our homes. I pray it is cultivated and grows into a Godly culture that the worldly cultural flood can not destroy! ““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”” Matt. 7:24-27

“We need all of God’s word for all of life, and the biblical counselor’s task is to grasp the word, give it well, and guide souls by it to wholeness in Christ. As the Puritans often remarked, we are to teach “doctrine for life” (1 Tim 1:5).” Counsel from the Confession? 1689 Eschatology and Pastoral Biblical Counseling https://founders.org/2022/02/04/counsel-from-the-confession-1689-eschatology-and-pastoral-biblical-counseling/

In Colossians 2:6-10 “Paul calls on us to be so grounded in Jesus Christ that no one can take you captive with hollow and deceptive philosophies… Christ has given us His Word and that Word is authoritative, sufficient, and final. It teaches us that God is the Creator of this world. He has ordered it… He alone is righteous and He has revealed His righteousness to us in the moral law… In a phrase, this is God’s world and He gets to set the rules.” By What Standard: God’s world… God’s rules https://press.founders.org/shop/by-what-standard-gods-world-gods-rules/

““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”” Matthew 7:24-27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.7.24-27.ESV

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Colossians 2:6-10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/col.2.6-10.ESV

Household Prayer: Lent Easter Devotion Season

“To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.5.11.ESV

Brothers tomorrow, March 2 2022, starts the 40 day devotional season leading to Easter. I’ve chosen a “40 Days of Lent” reading plan to read in our household. I’m praying for sweet time in God’s word for our household and yours. Praying for growing faith and hunger to know God more in our children. Praying for the good news of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead to work in them and through them in everything they do for all of their lives. All to the glory of God our Savior! “To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:11 ESV

40 Days of Lent reading plan: https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/85

“Lent has always been a time to turn our attention to all that has been done for us on the cross in Christ. This lavish gift can be meditated on year after year, and still would leave us to wonder in amazement. Through this reading plan, you will walk through the gospel accounts in chronological order, tracing the steps of Jesus during his last week of his earthly ministry. This plan is 47 days in length, but the seven Sundays are days of rest according to tradition.”

We have been told that we people are the chance result of impersonal chaos working its dark magic on the universe… The outcome of such thinking? Humanity is disenchanted…

But this is not the biblical account of man… God, the beautiful one, made the human race as his capstone work, his corporeal masterpiece (Ps 8:3-6; 27:4) … The imago dei marks out humanity as an enchanted race. Tragically, humanity disenchanted itself by following the anti-wisdom of the serpent…

If we have assumed… that our children learned what they needed to know simply by ecclesial and cultural osmosis, let us be clear that we may hold this assumption no longer. Now is not the time to play down our doctrine of mankind; now is the time to teach it with confidence and with joy, seeking to be witnesses to fellow sinners and guides to all God’s flock.
“Reenchanting Humanity: a theology of mankind” by Owen Strachan

Household Prayer: Hope, Courage, and the Church in Ukraine

“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. …” Psalm 27:1, 3, 13-14

Brothers today I am praying for hope and courage. I am praying for the Church in Ukraine. I pray that we would focus our eyes and hearts on our God of hope “without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

I pray we are motivated to manage our households well, to be prophet, priest, provider, and protector. May our households be filled with the word of God and prayer and “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 )

Times of war are nothing new for the Church over the last 2000 years. Jesus warned we “will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” (Matt. 24:6) Don’t be alarmed. God is still on the throne. Jesus is still the way the truth and the life! Fear not!

Hear from Pastor Suko in Ukraine, “the most astonishing and the most powerful thing I saw were not the rockets or the blown-out walls of an apartment building but rather the faith of men and women who have chosen to serve their God and turn their backs on the threat of tanks and mortars!” https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=27318069f1a18dea85677765e&id=2a7c31db5c
(Suko Family Updates https://us10.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=27318069f1a18dea85677765e&id=bd20dd2720 )

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.10.23.ESV

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? … Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. … I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:1, 3, 13-14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.27.1-14.ESV

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”” Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.31.6.ESV

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.8.37-39.ESV

Christian Patriotism – Sermon by Andrew Fuller in 1803, at a time when the UK was being threatened with invasion by Napoleon. https://founders.org/2022/02/23/christian-patriotism/

“Though, as Christians, we are not of the world, and ought not to be conformed to it; yet, being in it, we are under various obligations to those about us. As husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants, &c., we cannot be insensible that others have a claim upon us, as well as we upon them… We know that the father of the faithful, who was only a sojourner in the land of Canaan, when his kinsman Lot with his family were taken captives by a body of plunderers, armed his trained servants, pursued the victors, and bravely recovered the spoil. It was on this occasion that Melchizedek blessed him, saying, ‘Blessed be Abraham of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand!’ … I allow that the sword is the last weapon to which we should have recourse. As individuals, it may be lawful, by this instrument, to defend ourselves or our families against the attacks of an assassin …” It is not “unlawful to take up arms as members of civil society, when called upon to do so for the defence of our country… if it be right for the magistrate to bear the sword, and to use it upon evil-doers within the realm, it cannot be wrong to use it in repelling invaders from without; and if it be right on the part of the magistrate, it is right that the subject should assist him in it … there is another duty which we owe to our country; which is, That we pray to the Lord for it. It is supposed that religious people are a praying people.”

Household Prayer: Marriage, Households, and the battle of the cosmos

Brothers, I’m praying for our marriages. It’s St. Valentine’s and National Marriage Week. I always do a St. Valentine’s day devotional for family worship and this year as I see the continued battle against God’s design for sex, marriage, and households it brings new clarity to Valentine being martyred for defying an order by Emperor Claudius II not to allow marriages. The cosmic battle started early in creation and has continued since (Gen. 3:15). So I pray we understand the profound nature and purpose of our marriages and the armor needed to protect them (Eph. 5-6). May we be faithful to our marriages and call to build Godly households.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” Genesis 3:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.3.15.ESV

Build Godly households

“What is Christianity left with when we no longer live in households? I think that we are beginning to see it. If you’re a political or social liberal, you’re left with the de-gendered god of “social justice”; on the other hand, if you’re just the typical consumer of religious goods, Jesus is now your personal “life-coach” and success guru. What you don’t have in either case is a traditional household, or biblical Christianity.” The Household and the War for the Cosmos: Recovering a Christian Vision for the Family by C.R. Wiley https://a.co/h4hnotY

“We want to rebuild the walls and reset the gates of society. This must start from within. It must start in our own lives, and them move out to reform our households, and then the household of Fatih… We want to restore masculine piety: the duties we have to God and neighbor as men. Because as a man goes, so goes his household; as a household goes, so goes the Church; and as the Church goes, so goes society…”

“God made man to establish His own presence and rule in the physical realm. To bring heaven to earth through His living image. Man and woman… are united in the bond of marriage, and this bond exists to establish a community that builds upon itself… to produce households… households: the total sum of a husband and wife’s fruitful work, bound together by covenant love… ‘The household is the realm that is created around the family’…”

“Culture begins and emanates from the household. It is where the next generation of men is shaped and trained, until they leave their father and mother, join themselves to a wife, and start the process anew. It is through households that dominion is exercised… A man, his wife, and their grown children are a force to be reckoned with – especially as those children in turn build households that fit together into his, establishing an extended house of considerable resource, influence, and power.”

“As households multiply like this, cities are formed. Soon the relationships of this network of households must be managed and protected, and so the natural role of the patriarch is extended into the office of the magistrate; civil government is established. Cities form alliances with other cities and form states. States covenant with other states and form nations. Thus it is that commonwealths, kingdoms, and even great empires spring forth…”

It’s good to be a man: A handbook for Godly masculinity by Michael Foster and Dominic Bnonn Tennant https://canonpress.com/products/its-good-to-be-a-man/ or https://smile.amazon.com/Its-Good-Be-Man-Masculinity-ebook/dp/B09HLB8GS3/

Household Prayer: Church in China, Communist Captives, Advance the Kingdom

Brothers I am praying for the Church in China today and that we would not take our freedoms for granted here in America. I pray we would put away any idols and live for Christ (2 Cor. 5:15) building Godly households (Gen. 18:19) and work to advance the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth (Matt. 28:19) as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10) until it has leavened the whole world (Matt. 13:33). Lord, free the captives enslaved to communism. Help us to build safe and secure Christian communities as embassies for your ambassadors here on earth (2 Cor. 5:20).

“Pastor Pan explained the situation to Radio Free Asia, saying, ‘Our church would educate our children about our religious beliefs, and the police would come along and force them to enroll in school so they could be brainwashed. They didn’t want us to teach our children the Bible, and children are banned from attending church. This went against our faith and our consciences.’” China Threatens Christian Churches as Beijing Olympics Begin https://www.lifenews.com/2022/02/03/china-threatens-christian-churches-as-beijing-olympics-begin/

“Day 1 of the Winter Olympics and the CCP has already physically pulled a Dutch reporter off air.” https://twitter.com/dancrenshawtx/status/1489677181538164739?s=21

Live for Christ

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised…” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.5.14-20.ESV

Build Godly households

“the Latin word for house—the word domus. Not only is that the root of the word domestic, it is also the root of the word dominion.” — The Household and the War for the Cosmos: Recovering a Christian Vision for the Family by C.R. Wiley https://a.co/bAzyKxu

“For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”” Genesis 18:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.18.19.ESV

Advance the Kingdom of Heaven

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.28.18-20.ESV

On Earth as it is in heaven

“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.6.9-10.ESV

Leaven, disciple, the whole world

“For Christians, THE OBJECTIVE is filling and subduing the whole world for the glory of God (Genesis 1:28).” Victorious Now and Forever by Nathan Spearing, Fight Laugh Feast magazine issue 2.3, Fall 2021

“He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”” Matthew 13:33 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.13.33.ESV

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.1.28.ESV

Build safe and secure Christian communities as embassies for God’s ambassadors here on earth even in the midst of hostile natives

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.5.14-20.ESV