God So Loved, Only A God Like You, I’d Rather Have Jesus, Christ Be Magnified

What is the best advice or example that you got from your family about marriage? About raising children? About God?

Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, ² so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. ³ O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁴ “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk 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. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gate…

God created the family first over work, government or any other institution. It’s through our families that we first learn how to love, to follow God, and how to relate to one another. God created families:

1-For pro-creation and to fill the earth (Genesis 1:27-28);

2- For us to understand relationships and unity (Genesis 2:24-25);

3- As one of the channels of God’s love (Genesis 12:1-3);

4-To disciple and pass on a godly legacy (Deuteronomy 6:7-9);

5- To glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Every family, and family member is important, and God has a plan for your family. As the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land where they would encounter people of a different culture, God commanded Moses to teach families what to do (vv.1-9). God gave these reminders to His people to prepare them, because they will face enemies in the land. Just like them, our families today are under attack. This has been happening since the beginning with the families of Adam and Eve (Cain killed Abel), Abraham (had a son by his mistress), Isaac and Jacob had sons with sibling rivalries, and David was not an intentional father. Just like them, our families are imperfect, and we can learn from them; there’s hope for us!

What other types of attacks on the family do we experience?

1- Distraction (materialism, idolatry, pleasure, wrong friends, wrong identity, etc.);

2- Deception (“Feelings as basis of commitment”, “Your family is hopeless”, etc.);

3-Division (increasing rate of divorce/annulment, solo parents, children prefer to live away from parents);

4- Destruction (loneliness, depression, teenage pregnancy; financial problems, generational problems).

Even Filipinos, who are known to be happy people have been found that 57%  of us are lonely. There’s a strong correlation between depression with unresolved family issues. God created the family to be the first place where we experience love. If we don’t, we look for love elsewhere, often in the wrong places. The number one goal of Satan is to divide by separating us from God, our families and each other, separating nations, and separating the Body of Christ. There are more difficult days ahead, and so we need to be prepared (1 Timothy 3:1-2).

All of us want a strong family; we want a happy home to belong to. The good news is, God also wants strong families!

FOUNDED ON GOD’S TRUTH

 A family cannot be strong if its foundation is weak. Your foundation will impact your decisions and relationships. The entire family needs to have the right. If God is our foundation, we will love God, study and meditate on His Word (Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Psalm 1:1-3). If God and His word is our foundation, we will have a strong and secure family, not easily swayed, and will not drift away and follow the world’s ways.

Daniel was one of the young, noble Israelites taken into exile in Babylon (Daniel 1:3-4). They were to be taught the language and culture of the Babylonians, including eating food offered to Babylonian gods (v.5). These youths were given new identities, and names to remove their Jewish identity (Daniel 1:5-7). Daniel was named Belteshazzar, after one of their gods. Today we’re also bombarded by ideologies forcing us to change our culture and identity. But Daniel and his friends did not give in to what would defile them (Daniel 1:8). But Daniel made up his mind not to go with the flow because he knew God’s word that he probably learned from his parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Later in his life, Daniel still stood by his beliefs, continuing to worship God even under threat of his life (Daniel 6:10). God uses His word to change us; breakthroughs and healing in our family cannot happen apart from the word of God at work in us (Hebrews 4:12). Immerse yourself in God’s word and you will say not to the world!

APPLY GOD’S TRUTH

Most families though, struggle to apply God’s truth. One of the hindrances in building a strong family is the lack of integrity in the family. When parents say one thing but do the opposite! This results in the justification of wrong behavior in the children. It destroys trust and develops bitterness within the family. God commands us to do what He says and tests us if we will obey Him (Deuteronomy 8:1-2). Even difficult family members help us grow in our relationship with the Lord when we apply God’s word (James 1:22-23). Like Daniel, we will be blessed and experience breakthroughs in our families if we are “doers” of God’s word (James 1:24-25, Daniel 1:8, 10-15, Psalm 34:8). Most of God’s amazing blessings happen when we obey.

MAKE GOD’S TRUTH KNOWN

Our families exist for a purpose, and we are to be a blessing to other families, as Abraham was through his descendant, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 12:2-3). God wanted other people to see your Christ-centered family (Deuteronomy 6:7-8). The best inheritance you can give to your children is to teach them to love the Lord with all their hearts! God is the strongest foundation, and our families will be strong if we choose Him and serve Him as a family (Joshua 24:15).  Our family cannot go against the tide if we are busy flowing with the tide.  The world will give you purpose and meaning—but these will never be enough. We need God to build strong families.  Lastly, know that the family that serves together, grows together.   We are to make God’s truth known to the world, and we do that by serving Him together as a family. Let each of our families be founded in God’s truth, apply God’s truth, and make God’s truth known!

What attacks from the enemy are you experiencing as a family?

What Biblical truths do you need to apply to counter these attacks?

What are you doing as a family to constantly grow in your knowledge and love for God? How can you serve the Lord together as a family?

Pray for a family you know who are experiencing attacks from the culture around us and our enemy (Satan).

Let your own family be an example of God’s love for them and serve in any way you can to help them have a strong family.

Share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

• Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.

• Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.

• God’s help and comfort for the Sudanese people caught in violence and conflict.

• War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented; tension in East Asian and Middle East countries to stop.

• Continue to pray for the rest of Israeli hostages to be restored back to their families safely. Pray for Israel and the war with terrorists to end according to God’s purpose and for His glory.

• For the recent political and social upheaval in the US to result in spiritual awakening in the church and a great spiritual harvest.

• That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.

• Elders, pastors, dleaders, and families (holy, humble, harmonious, happy, heart-working).

• Ministries and churches expansion worldwide.

• Worship and Training Center

• Prayer Mountain

• Deeper intimate relationship with God.

• Righteous living.

• Salvation of family and friends.

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.