”Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.“Matthew 1:24-25 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.1.24-25.NKJV
“… 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.” 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/
Brothers, one of my favorite images of Christmas is the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary, and the infant Lord Jesus. The family, from Adam to our families today are “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.” I pray for the sense of that duty to be our driving force. I pray for the faith and strength to stand firm in the coming days as secular authorities wish to exert control in the government of the family.
The family is God’s smallest battle formation
“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/
Home Schooling Growth Draws New Attention, Concern From Establishment
“Those who demand their “secular” worldview be fully accepted by the next generation will exercise their demands and power through the media, entertainment, the economy, and politics in order to squelch a system of education and religious freedom. The battle for America’s children’s minds will be real, and it will be necessary for Christian parents to engage. The time to prepare is now.” Home Schooling Growth Draws New Attention, Concern From Establishment https://illinoisfamily.org/education/home-schooling-growth-draws-new-attention-concern-from-establishment/
“As homeschooling continues to grow, we can expect more resistance and criticism… In what might perhaps be a fourth wave of homeschool scrutiny post-COVID-19, we are beginning to see more negative portrayals of homeschooling—particularly Christian homeschooling—in well-written and highly produced popular publications… This new fourth wave scrutiny from the lofty heights of the popular culture compels homeschoolers to become better at telling our stories; to be more mature in how we tell our stories. The homeschooling community has grown… but our message will never change… That homeschool freedom is good, but not just for its own sake… “HSLDA believes that the homeschool[s]… are all playing a part in creating a vibrant society and an environment of freedom that promotes human flourishing.” To that end, it remains our mission to make homeschooling possible for every parent willing to take up the challenge and the great responsibility to faithfully teach their children.“ We’re Aware of Media Critics, and We’re Still Defending Homeschool Freedom https://go.hslda.org/webmail/795273/1283956902/7f7e315f1d472b5719ee62754370570dff6c6fb86a2a96cbbcbeb2e14dcf743b
”And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at 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 then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”“ Matthew 19:4-6 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.19.4-6.NKJV
Psalms 22:27-28 (NASB)
[27] All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
[28] For the kingdom is the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations.
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/
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
Dobra Family Ministry 