“Committed to the Absolute Truth of the Word of God”

Friend of the Family is a newsletter that is published quarterly by Biblical Family Ministries.  You will find articles on the family and other topics, as well as prayer requests and praises.  We hope you enjoy reading our latest edition of Friend of the Family!

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We have had a very busy spring travel schedule! The Lord has been faithful and met every need we have had, both physical and spiritual. On March 6th, my dear Daddy went home to be with the Lord after a long physical struggle. He so wanted to be raptured; we were counting on that too, I might add! We are so thankful he was released from his weakened body here on earth and is very much alive in Heaven. The wonderful assurance of knowing we will be with him and all those who have gone before us, is so comforting. Ninety one years was a good age to pass on; his life was filled with service to his Savior. My father’s prayer to his dying day was for others to come to know his Savior. His life was a testimony to the Lord, as he served Him. All this brings me to those who have never seen the truth of God’s Word. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary to pay for all mankind’s sins! He shed his blood for you and for me. By accepting the payment of Calvary for our sins, we become born again children of God. None of us deserve to be saved; but God in His mercy provided a way for all to be forgiven, if we would just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hell was never prepared for man; it is the eternal punishment for the devil, however, if man will not accept the free gift of salvation; he will be cast into the lake of fire as well. Why do men refuse to accept God’s Word? I will never understand those who refuse the precious provision made for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t require us doing anything – its all about what our Savior did for us; we must, by faith, believe it. It is not a church, it is God’s Word we must trust. Is peace what you are searching for in your life? The Lord Jesus is the answer to peace, joy and fulfillment for man. I trust you know Him and are busy telling others. Revelation 22:20b “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Keep looking. Christ is coming. As we demonstrated from scripture in our last article, there is a Rapture described in the Bible. Someday, maybe today, a generation of Christians will be caught up (raptured) according to I Thessalonians 4:17. Don’t let anybody rob you of the hope of Christ’s sure return. There are no signs to tell us when the Rapture will occur. It is imminent. In other words, it could occur at any moment. There is no prophecy that must be fulfilled before He returns. In fact, it is obvious that Paul both hoped for and expected the Rapture to occur in his own lifetime. This cannot be said regarding Christ’s eventual return in glory to set up His earthly kingdom. There are many prophecies that must be fulfilled before that event takes place.

When the Rapture occurs it will be very significant in fulfilling God’s prophetic plan. What is its significance? First, It will be a resurrection event. The dead in Christ shall rise. The term “in Christ”, describes the spiritual position of those who have trusted Christ as Savior during the Church Age. The Church Age began on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, and that is the day believers were first placed “in Christ”. At the Rapture, all who have died “in Christ” (in the Church Age), will be raised from the dead to meet the Lord in the air. Secondly, the Rapture will mark the end of the Church Age. Upon Peter’s testimony regarding the salvation of Cornelius (Acts 10, 11, 15) James acknowledged in Acts 15:14 that, “God had visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name”. In describing the Church Age in Romans 11:25, Paul said, “…blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”. God is not finished dealing with Israel, but fulfillment of His plan for them awaits the coming of the fullness of the Gentiles into the Church. When the last Gentile of the Church Age is saved, the Lord will move ahead to complete His plan for Israel.

We will continue our discussion of these important issues next time. Why do these things matter? Many are downplaying, ignoring and even denying the Rapture. At the same time, the church is surrendering her convictions and lowering her standards. John wrote in I John 3:3, “And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”Renewing the biblical hope for Christ’s soon return may renew purity in our lives and the lives of our family members. We need it!

                                      The family continues to decline in our country and in the church. At a recent meeting a comment was made by a pastor regarding the make-up of the student body of his Christian School. He said fewer and fewer young people were growing up in stable, two parent homes. He acknowledged that one class in his school had no students from a two parent home. Every child in that class was growing up in a single parent setting. I believe Christian Education is essential in preparing young people to face the world of tomorrow, but no school setting can resolve the growing problems among young people who live in an unstable home environment. As you might expect, about 75% of broken homes are single mother homes. The father is missing. To father, is more than participating in procreation; it speaks of fulfilling a paternal role, which includes meeting needs and providing protective care. The biblical term suggests one who is a nourisher, protector and upholder (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). We’ll see more about a father’s role from scripture as we move along, but the basics of providing for and protecting, are fundamental assignments from God, designed for a man called Dad.

The whole concept of fatherhood is extremely important to God.  We should be profoundly moved by the fact that the Eternal Triune God has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Immediately a message is conveyed regarding His being, His character and His ways. We learn more as we watch the Father and the Son unveiled in their relationship during the earthly ministry of our Lord.  The Father sends the Son, has a will and desire for Him and loves Him. The Son prays to the Father and submits to His will and honors Him. There is an unsearchable depth to the relationship and we marvel that it is transferred into the human experience. Who can grasp the marvel? – I am my father’s son.  Who can grasp the mystery? – I am the father of this child.

Fatherhood is so important to God and He deems it so vital for a child to have a father, that He announces himself to be “a father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5). In Psalm 27:10 the Psalmist writes, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”  These verses are not given to provide cover for the failing parent, but demonstrate the necessity of fatherly care for every child. Care that is so necessary, that the forsaken child will be personally and uniquely ministered to by God himself. If there is no dad in your home, turn to the Lord, He will be there. If you are dad, step up to the plate, we need a home run.    

                                In John 13:35 our Lord Jesus challenged His disciples about their love for one another. He said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The Lord made that statement in conjunction with the teaching that He was going to be leaving them and that they could not go with Him at that time. We should not be hard on Peter, but it is interesting that he entered into the discussion focusing on the fact that the Lord was leaving and that he was willing to lay down his life for Christ’s sake, but by-passed any reference to Christ’s “new” commandment to love one another. I emphasize that we should not be overly hard on Peter, but he demonstrates a real truth. It can be easier to profess a readiness to die for Christ than to live out the daily challenge of loving those with whom we live everyday. As a family we are living testimonies for Jesus Christ and we can be absolutely sure that others are observing us. If they watch carefully will they recognize that we are Christ’s disciples? By far, most of the counseling we do involves Christian homes and usually the issues are related to the marriage. Many of the folks who come are upstanding citizens in the community. Often they are faithful in their local church and may very well teach a class in Sunday School or hold a church office. Many of them give generously to the Lord’s work. Unfortunately, underneath the façade, is very unloving turmoil and heartache. For a while the outward testimony hides the reality of a collapsing marriage and family. Finally they seek help.

In Matthew 22:37 – 40 our Lord answered a question about which was the greatest commandment. He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” We should be awestruck by these words.

In Galatians 5:14, Paul wrote, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Now consider what Paul went on to say in the very next verse. Galatians 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

Let me affirm to you that too many Christian homes are falling apart. You have seen it. By God’s grace, you are not experiencing it. Either way, it must stop. The Lord Jesus said that by our love people would recognize us as His disciples. There are too many who would have a hard time proving themselves to be Christ’s disciples, because they do not seem to understand what love is and certainly fail to show it to those around them. More than love is necessary to have a successful Christian life and family, but without it, success is impossible. Would you say love dominates the atmosphere of your home? Why or why not?  What is love? How does it work? More next time.

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