Family – Dobra Family Ministry

Household Prayer: Household Enterprise

”Then he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then he gave him a tenth of all.“ Genesis 14:19-20 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.14.19-20.LSB

Brothers, I read an article about running a business (and household) as a prophet, priest, and king drawn from Gen. 14. Read that chapter and meditate on the household enterprise Abraham led. I pray we can lead our households well (1 Tim. 3:2-12). I pray we walk by faith in obedience and that God would establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17) in our household enterprises to raise Godly offspring (Malachi 2:15) and to proclaim God’s glory to the ends of the earth! (Mark 16:15)

”So Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, and he led out his trained men, born in his house, 318 in number, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his men against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions, and he also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions and also the women and the people.“ Genesis 14:14-16 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.14.14-16.LSB

”An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)… Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, leading their children and their own households well.“ 1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5, 12 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1ti.3.2-12.LSB

”Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish for us the work of our hands; Establish the work of our hands.“ Psalm 90:17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.90.17.LSB

”Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.“ Malachi 2:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mal.2.15.ESV

”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“ Mark 16:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

Household

In Latin domus, Greek oikos; oikos, the root of “economic,” refers to the household.

“For Aristotle, the household is a family understood as a community of daily life. The family, the Church, and civil society are true societies. They have a real metaphysical standing because they are intrinsic to the human condition… a community woven together by common actions toward common ends… husbands and fathers face a dramatic and pressing need to develop habits that reinvigorate the life of the household. Men need to think about how to orient their families around common projects and enterprises.” https://www.firstthings.com/article/2018/11/reclaiming-the-household

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: gardens, working, keeping, protecting

”… I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I had the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows. Then I saw their fear. And I arose and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “Do not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and fearsome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”“ Nehemiah 4:13-14 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/neh.4.13-14.LSB

Brothers, I’ve been out of commission for a bit. How is it April already? Makes me think of the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15) and 4/19/1775 at Lexington and Concord (Gen. 14, Neh. 4). I also do a family safety stand down. I pray we are preparing our gardens, working and keeping, cultivating and protecting (Gen. 2:15).

”Then Yahweh God took the man and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.“ Genesis 2:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.2.15.LSB

”So Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, and he led out his trained men, born in his house, 318 in number, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.“ Genesis 14:14 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.14.14.LSB

The Shot Heard ‘Round the World: Pastor Jonas Clark and Lexington’s Law of Liberty

“This day, April 19, should be forever marked in the American mind as the day a few Americans stood their ground, refusing to surrender their God-given rights in the face of British tyranny… Many of the militiamen were members of Pastor Jonas Clark’s church. Clark stood close by on the road, along with forty to one hundred spectators, watching the events that morning as church member Captain John Parker (for whom the Minuteman Statue was dedicated in 1900 at the 125th anniversary) modeled the principles he had been taught from the Scriptures. Captain John Parker of the Lexington militia was a deacon in Pastor Clark’s church. In addition to being a believer submitted to the Bible, his militia was under the Continental Congress. The Americans were not rebels, for the vast majority of those who resisted British tyranny had been taught the Biblical doctrine of interposition by their pastors. Simply put, it meant the only lawful way to resist tyranny is to do so under duly constituted authority. They understood that direct resistance is rebellion and had been taught that only a defensive war in a just cause can be blessed by God. That is why Parker’s orders, engraved on the Lexington militia line marker, are so significant: Stand your ground, don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here. After Revere alerted Hancock and Adams at Pastor Clark’s home that the British regulars were coming, Clark was asked, “Are your men ready?” He replied, “I have trained them for twenty years for this hour.” … Jonas Clark taught from the Bible that true liberty was a result of covenanting with God under the rule of law-God’s law. Why is the “shot that was heard ’round the world” so important? It is important for Americans to remember that our War for Independence was both lawful and just. It was a defensive war fought in a lawful manner consistent with Biblical principles. It was not a rebellion nor was it lawless. Where did the many militia units get such teaching, and why would they adhere to such Biblical principles? It was taught almost universally by the “Black-Robed Regiment”-the patriotic pastors who led the Revolution behind the scenes as well as taking up arms themselves.” The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/

Rights

President John F. Kennedy in where human rights come from “ …the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe-the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution… proud of our ancient heritage and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. “ President John F. Kennedy, 1961 Inaugural Address, The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/

”¶But You, O Yahweh, abide forever, And the remembrance of Your name from generation to generation… So the nations will fear the name of Yahweh And all the kings of the earth Your glory… “The children of Your slaves will dwell securely, And their seed will be established before You.”“ Psalm 102:12, 15, 28 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.102.12-28.LSB

Fear God, Make disciples, Protect your family!

“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/

“Religion and liberty must flourish or fall together in America. We pray that both may be perpetual.” Pastor William Smith, Christ Church Philadelphia, 1775
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

“God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable, and that the unjust attempts to destroy the one, may in the issue tend to the support and establishment of both.” John Witherspoon, 1776
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

“And if our religion is given up, all the liberty we boast of will soon be gone.” Samuel Langdon, 1788
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

Household Prayer: Saint Patrick’s example – proclaim the excellencies of God

”But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;“ 1 Peter 2:9 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1pe.2.9.LSB

Brothers, I’ve been meditating on 1 Peter 2:9. We find our identity, a chosen people, and our purpose, to proclaim the excellencies of God. I pray we proclaim God’s excellencies in our households and as Saint Patrick exhorts, I pray we “bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.”

“… I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity. This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.” Saint Patrick https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#

“”St. Patrick: His Confession and Other Works” from Catholic Book Publishing gives the listener an excellent perspective on this beloved Saint, making him even more relevant for modern times. This book details two of the Saint’s written works: Confession and Letter to Coroticus, providing a deeper understanding of the Saint who converted Ireland. https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/audiobooks/6163

“Each local church plays a vital role in the great commission… How do we go forward as the people of God in 2024? As pastors, if our congregation is to function as a public witness for Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century, we must prepare our people for it. Our people must know the message of the gospel that we are to proclaim. They must be firmly committed to the means that God has given us to share the gospel, namely, the proclamation of his Word. And as pastors, we must seek to train and disciple leaders who will then go out and proclaim the gospel on the streets. To encourage public witness in the church, Spurgeon would do two things. First, he would make public evangelism [a] regular pray[er] in the life of the church. Second, he would actively encourage and development evangelists in his local church. We can do the same as we seek to be salt and light in this dark generation.“ Charles Spurgeon’s Public Evangelism (Part 1), https://founders.org/articles/charles-spurgeons-public-evangelism/

Household Prayer: the mission of marriage is greater than the Roman Empire

”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.“ Ephesians 5:25-33 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.25-33.LSB

Brothers, it’s the end of February and I’m praying for our marriages. We learn from Valentinus that the mission of marriage is greater than the Roman Empire. I pray we would be encouraged in the mission, that we would love our wive’s as Christ loved the church, that we would be students of the Scripture, and that we would not fall for the trap of Balaam (Number 22-23, Rev 2:14,16). I pray our marriages would be a reflection of the Gospel.

Marriage is greater than the Roman Empire (Valentinus 269 A.D). Creation starts with a marriage. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Adam and Eve, Genesis 1:28) and ends with a marriage. ”Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”“ (Revelation 19:7 LSB).

Men Be Encouraged in the Mission

Your marriage is a reflection of the Gospel! (Eph 5:22-6:18). Love your wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (5.25, 5:33a) and let each one of you love his wife as himself. Christ loved 100% in obedience to the Father!

You must be a student of the Scriptures! Lead your wife and children in the instruction of the Scriptures. Protect your families from the lies and falsehoods of the world. To lead in the instruction of the Scriptures and protect your families from worldly ideas and falsehoods, you must be a student of the Scriptures!

Men, don’t fall for the traps! Keep sexual purity with your wife. The same trap of Balaam to curse God’s people in Numbers 22-23 is set today. Temptation to sexual immorality destroys God’s people. To the church at Pergamum – ”But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality… Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.“ Revelation 2:14, 16

“A husband’s love for his wife should be efficacious… Notice that when Christ efficaciously loved His bride, His love transformed her. His love was also incarnational: Christ’s love for the Church was embodied in His willingness to die for her… as Paul says, “He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Eph. 5:28)… when a husband really loves his wife, he will discover that as he gives these blessings to his wife, his wife consistently gives a bigger return. He shovels blessings on her, and then discovers that she has a much bigger shovel. He who loves his wife loves himself. She is always able to return more in blessing to him than he has given to her. Godly wives are multipliers. Husbands who love their wives in an incarnational way will consequently have the authority to speak at the dinner table, and they will find that people want to listen. If a husband is not doing this, everyone around him will check out, right after they roll their eyes. If you are not loving your wife efficaciously, any instruction or teaching you offer your family is going to bounce off their foreheads. And if you want to transform your family, then you must be willing to die—and you cannot do this on your own. You have to look to the Christ who died, in order to imitate Him, daily taking up your cross and following Him.” The Covenant Household by Douglas Wilson https://a.co/3Sz5qNn

Household Prayer: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God https://ministry.family.blog/2024/02/15/household-prayer-resistance-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to-god/

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). https://ministry.family.blog/2024/02/03/household-prayer-marriage-and-the-cosmic-battle/

More about Saint Valentine: https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

Household Prayer: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God

”But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty. Now it happened that because the midwives feared God, He made households for them.“ Exodus 1:17, 20-21 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/exo.1.17-21.LSB

Brothers, meditating on the midwives in Ex. 1:17-21. Also thinking about Valentinus’ defiance of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. I pray we have such love and affection for God that we would always choose Him over the authorities of this world. I pray we know God’s word and choose obedience to Him above all others. I pray we protect our families from the lies and falsehoods of this world and fill them with the truth of God!

Disciple the Nations

”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“ Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

We have a duty to teach the nations God’s gospel, commands, laws, and principles (Grace and Truth). This would include informing the nations ( neighbors, civil authorities, etc…) when they are out of line with God’s will.

How do we know when we or the nations are outside of God’s will? When we disobey God’s commands, laws, and principles.

Share the truth in love, but share. They may respond to correction or opportunities may open for gospel conversations. Duty is ours, results are God’s. ”And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them.“ Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.11.LSB

“Soft days for [true] Christians are past, and only a strong view of Scripture is sufficient to withstand the pressure of an all-pervasive culture built upon relativism and relativistic thinking. We must remember that it is a strong view of the absolutes [absolute truths of scripture] which the infinite-personal God gave to the … church… which enabled the early church to withstand the pressure of the Roman Empire.” Francis A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster

More about Saint Valentine: https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

Important resources

Really good conversation about A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants. We need to pray for our church leaders to re-learn these old and very costly won theologies. https://youtu.be/0cxGEjKbJn0?si=GDDORCCMkN6a7Yq_

A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government by Matthew J. Trewhella https://a.co/aVQzfiR

Slaying Leviathan: Limited Government and Resistance in the Christian Tradition https://canonpress.com/products/slaying-leviathan

By What Standard? God’s World…God’s Rules https://press.founders.org/shop/by-what-standard-gods-world-gods-rules/

The Essential Church https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.aa4a63f3-44a5-499c-8846-06d00c6d0c56&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_movie&r=web
more here: https://essentialchurchmovie.com/

Household Prayer: February Devotional Topics

”And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”“ Matthew 19:4-6 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mat.19.4-6.LSB

Brothers, I’ve been thinking about and praying for all of the opportunities for instructing and discipling our families in February. From Saint Valentine’s example: Pray for our marriages and households and their part of the war for the cosmos (Eph. 5:22-6:17). Pray that we have wisdom to discern when to resist tyrants in obedience to God (Exodus 1:15-22, Acts 4:18-20). And I pray we love our wive’s as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25). These three things I will focus family devotional time on in February. I pray God grants faith, knowledge, and wisdom to our children.

More about Saint Valentine: https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

”But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty. Now it happened that because the midwives feared God, He made households for them.“ Exodus 1:17, 20-21 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/exo.1.17-21.LSB

Household Prayer: Priorities, Goals, and Resolutions

”I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.“ 3 John 1:4 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/3jn.1.4.LSB

Brothers, meditating on 3 John 1:4 today. Praying that the number 1 priority in our households, churches, neighborhoods, and workplaces is that every member will know “the doctrines of the gospel, the life of Christ, and the great precepts of Scripture.” Praying for the wisdom and energy to bring God’s truth into every conversation possible (Deut. 6:7). Praying that every goal and resolution is founded on God, His truth, and His purpose for us!

Priority

“I hope no parent will allow their children to grow up and leave their roof without knowing the doctrines of the gospel, the life of Christ, and the great precepts of Scripture—without having as clear an understanding as possible of the great principles and plan of salvation. It should be the holy ambition of every parent that his entire family should be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Happy as a marriage day is that day when a parent sees his child surrendered to the people of God, having first given his heart to Christ. The joy of the text is that the children “walk in the truth”—the actual demonstration of the power of the gospel in their lives. This proves that the teaching was well received, the feeling was not mere excitement, and the profession was not a falsehood but was done in truth.” The Spurgeon Study Bible

Goals

This year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years…

Roles

Family/household sphere, the ministry of health, education, and welfare.
Church sphere, the ministry of grace and peace.
Civil sphere, the ministry of justice.
Self-Government, by God’s grace, born again, the ministry that makes the other three possible.

By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen. God willing, to be the good and faithful servant until He calls me out of this world.

“Duty is ours, results are God’s.” – John Quincy Adams

”“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.“ Deuteronomy 6:4-7 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/deu.6.4-7.LSB

Warnings for getting our priorities wrong

”“If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” …“ Psalm 11:3-4 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.11.3-4.LSB

”My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from ministering as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I Myself also will forget your children.“ Hosea 4:6 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/hos.4.6.LSB

Household Prayer: Goals for our mission this year

“we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Happy New Year! Brothers, I’m not one for resolutions, but we do have a vision and mission from our King, and we should set goals to strive to accomplish the mission in the time God gives us. I pray we consider our created mandate, our great commission, and our duties in our various roles and live fully for God’s purpose and for His glory! “Duty is ours, results are God’s.”

“My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than could be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear.” George Washington encouraging his men to re-enlist in the army Tuesday, December 31, 1776

The family is God’s smallest battle formation

Family/household Government, the ministry of health, education, and welfare.
Church Government, the ministry of grace and peace.
Civil Government, the ministry of justice.
Self-Government, by God’s grace the ministry that makes the other three possible.

“The sphere of the family is perhaps the most important sphere of the three, anthropologically speaking. It was created before the fall, and thus it is a necessary component for humans to thrive in their creation mandate as well as to encourage proper roles in the other two spheres of church and state. In that way, we could say that the sphere of the family is the foundation upon which God has chosen to flourish human societies. It is the sphere in which the image God has borne upon humans will reproduce and thrive. Show me a collapsing society, and I will show you a crumbling institution of the family. We see God’s creation of the family most clearly in Genesis 1:27–28… The home is further set apart in Genesis 2.“ The Creation of the 3 Spheres of Family, Church, and State, Timothy Decker, https://founders.org/articles/the-creation-of-the-3-spheres-of-family-church-and-state/

Household Prayer: passing shadow moments

““Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow.” Psalms 144:3-4 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.144.4.NKJV

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” Ephesians 2:19 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.2.19.NKJV

Brothers, meditating on a theme from Psalm 144:3-4 and Eph. 2:19. My oldest turns 18 in less than a week. “Life is but a passing shadow.” It passes so fast! I pray we treasure the moments and relationships in our households and in the “household of God.” I pray I can see what is most important, what is eternal, and I pray we don’t miss those moments. And I pray that by word and witness we pass on what is the “eternal purpose of God and the place of Christ and His people in that purpose” from Ephesians and the rest of scripture.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,” Ephesians 1:22 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.1.22.NKJV

Remembering that the church is not a place of gathering, but a people, a people of a household with a common father, a household of households. “This redeemed society, which constitutes God’s new people, is referred to in various ways in the letter; for example, as God’s people (1:2, TCNT), God’s heritage (1:11, TCNT), God’s building (2:19-22), Christ’s body (1:22,23), Christ’s bride (5:22-31), the church (1:22; 3:10, 21, et al.), and one new man (2:14,15). The suggestion in all these figures is that God now has a people in the world who belong uniquely to Him. In them His purpose of grace is being worked out, and through them He plans to effect His intention for the universe… The most comprehensive statement of the theme of Ephesians is this: the eternal purpose of God and the place of Christ and His people in that purpose.” Founders Study Guide Commentary on Ephesians https://press.founders.org/shop/fsgc-ephesians/

Household Prayer: culture building faith

“In this manner, therefore, pray: 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 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.6.9-10.NKJV

Culture building

Brothers, when we pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10), what does that look like? Our faith has real world consequences as God works in and through us. I pray we have faith to pray for God’s will in our lives and families today and faith to walk in His will. I pray we live out a Christian culture in this world (Matt. 5:14-16, I Peter 2:12), and I pray we disciple and pass the faith and culture on to our children to do the same. I pray reformation and Christian culture begin in our homes.

I read an article about young Americans being inspired by Osama Bin Laden’s letter to America and one recommended antidote is to build and live out a distinctly Christian culture as a light to the world (Matt. 5:14-16, I Peter 2:12).

Take dominion. Make disciples. By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen

“Duty is ours, results are God’s” – John Quincy Adams

What Does Osama bin Laden’s Viral Moment on TikTok Mean for America? “A hyper focus on criticizing the West ignores the positive developments that have come out of the West. Christian ethics are foundational to Western civilization, and the order, justice, and understanding of human rights that Western civilization brought to much of the world is a very good thing. Many (particularly younger) Americans refuse to see this. Thus, we may be left with a society that hates itself. Such a society-wide suicidal inclination is exceedingly dangerous… The antidote to the allure… is to create a culture that teaches, values, and lives by the Christian ethics and …American values that have contributed to this country’s flourishing.” https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/what-does-osama-bin-ladens-viral-moment-on-tiktok-mean-for-america

“Osama Bin Laden Viral TikTok Letter — THIS is What Gen-Z Doesn’t Know. In this episode of ‘Ideas Have Consequences,’ we will examine the reasons why Gen-Z is connecting with this letter and explain why their ideology is flawed in doing so” https://x.com/larrytaunton/status/1729500391434301860?s=46&t=Ag2lESY3ntUopWo1gN17hw

““You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.14-16.NKJV

“having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” I Peter 2:12 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.2.12.NKJV

“The Church has a lot of motion — reading and talking about dominion online. This feels like action but it is NOT. – read and obey your Bible – pick up heavy things often – don’t eat trash – love your wife – discipline your kids – develop mastery in one thing – invest – repeat” https://x.com/thespearing/status/1729473324449759442?s=46&t=Ag2lESY3ntUopWo1gN17hw

“John Quincy Adams (1825-1829), sixth president of the United States stated: The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.” The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/