Free Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 Audio Downloads!

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Family Newsletter--Love the Church (Part 3)

The Bride of Christ and Her Competitors

by Jordan Jachim

Loving your local church is critical for you. The Church is the most important of the three jurisdictions (family, church, state) because only the Church universal (that is, all believers) will remain throughout eternity. The Family structure is gone when one reaches heaven, and the State is burned when the earth is destroyed, but the Church is in Heaven for ever and ever. However, the Church universal and local today is downplayed, downgraded and forgotten. Often, it seems now to be nothing more than a club. How different this is to Christ’s view of the Church as His Bride. Think of that! The Bride of Christ!

There is a challenger to gain and keep the loyalties and affections of her members. Enter the bad guy: man. Man’s selfish sinful nature wants nothing to do with the Bride of Christ. Even once a person is saved by Christ, his old nature is still present, not being completely overcome here, but in heaven. I wish to touch on just a few ways than man endeavors to steal the time, dollars, energy, prayer, tears, sweat, and blood from Christ’s Church.

Some of the Church’s rivals are found in the other two jurisdictions (see above). Many see their family, sleep, or work, as more important than their local church. When properly working, no jurisdiction should steal from another. But in so many cases, the jurisdictions are not properly working. Many in the church are looking, not to the Lord of Heaven, their Bridegroom, but to a rival sovereign, the State, to solve their problems. They believe that if only we can just pack enough seats in the Congress with “good guys” or elect a particular face to sit in the White House, all problems will be solved, or most of them, anyway.

What is the problem here? Has the author inferred that politics is worthless or dirty? Far be it from me. I believe Christians working in politics (whether voting or holding an office) is vital. And I firmly believe that if Christians don’t work in politics, others will fill the slack. For too many Christians, though, working for a political party or candidate has all but eclipsed working for one’s local church. Rather than working for “Our Father” that “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven” many Christians appear to be working for “Our favorite candidate” that “Thy election to the White House come, thy will be done in Congress”.

So, on which side of the fence are you? Analyze the questions. These questions are not good vs. bad, but good vs. best.

Do you know more about a particular candidate than about your pastor?

Do you know a particular party’s platform better than your church’s creed?

Are American laws more important to you than Biblical laws (from which English laws are derived, and after them, American laws)?

Is a speech by your favorite politician during election time worth more to you than a sermon?

Trying to fix the State exclusive of the Church or Family is like putting the cart before the horse: it won’t go anywhere permanently. If the Church is reformed, her members can influence the State, and reforming the family makes reforming the church a whole lot easier. But none of these can be reformed unless every family member, church member, and citizen reads and applies the Bible. And reading and applying the Bible is the best way to show your love for both the Church and Her Lord.

“May Christ be praised, pre-eminent, adored;

I love the Church because I love Her Lord.”

(I Love the Church by Chris Anderson)

Family Newsletter--Love the Church (Part 1)

We attended NCFIC Conference "Love the Church" this past December. We were inspired to make our next family newsletter from Valentines Day about loving the church.

Loving the Church by Being Faithful Servants of Christ

by David Jachim

In Holy Scripture, God provides us with many beautiful illustrations for the Church of Jesus Christ. These illustrations can be classified according to various themes including national metaphors (for example, a holy nation in 1 Peter 2:9 and God’s people in Revelation 21:3), religious metaphors (for example, a royal priesthood in 1 Peter 2:9 and a living sacrifice in Romans 12:2), and family metaphors (for example, the household of God in Ephesians 2:19 and sons of God in 1 John 3:2). One of the most beautiful and vivid pictures of the Church is given in Ephesians 5 where the relationship between Christ and His followers is analogized to that of the marriage union between a husband and wife.

The love that is shared between a husband and his dear wife is the closest and most intimate of any human relationship. God uses the picture of that relationship to depict not only the beauty and sacredness of the roles of the marriage partners, but also to communicate deep truths about His love and commitment to His people. As we see God’s love and His relationship to the church, we will see our responsibilities to Him and how we can be loving His church.

In Ephesians 5:25-33, there is much that we can learn in how we as born-again believers should live in relation to our loving spiritual head, the Lord Jesus Christ. From this passage, consider the following ways that you can be loving the body of Christ:

• Love the church by willingly, lovingly, and joyfully serving Christ out of your gratitude for His sacrifice for you. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25, KJV) Christ’s love for the Church is expressed through His willingness to give himself up for it - particularly as evidenced by His sacrificial death on the Cross. This supreme act of love should result in us responding to Him with gratitude by being a radiant servant for the furthering of His Kingdom. As we learn to serve Him, we will be showing a love for the church.

• Love the church by committing yourself to being a diligent student of God’s Word through knowing and applying what God teaches you through the Bible. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:26-27, KJV) Not only did Christ yield His life for His bride the Church, but He also progressively works in the lives of His people to conform them into His image. This work is accomplished through the power of the perfect, inerrant (without error), and entirely sufficient Word of God. Since God uses the Bible in sanctifying us into godly, holy character, we need to know His Word. Commit yourself to reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing Holy Scripture. As you do so, allow the Lord to wash you through His truth so that you can be a holy follower of Christ without spot or blemish. As you are changed, also look for opportunities to testify of the work that God Almighty is doing within you so that you can bring honor and glory to the Name of your blessed Redeemer.

• Love the church by carrying out the specific works that God has planned for you to advance the cause of Christ. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:29-30, KJV) All who are born-again believers by the grace of God are a part of His body. By being members of Christ’s body, we should be seeking to fulfill the role for which God has equipped us. Just as the human body is made up of many members and each member needs to be performing its function well in order to have a healthy physical body, so the body of Christ contains many members that need to be fulfilling the specific works that God has prepared in advance for us to do (see Ephesians 2:10) in order to have a healthy and vibrant spiritual body. If you do not know the gift(s) and how to use them in carrying out specific good works, pray to the Lord for His wisdom. Be assured that you will be furnished by your loving Heavenly Father what you need to accomplish the particular tasks that He has planned for you.

• Love the church by intimately abiding in Christ through a holy pursuit to know the Lord Jesus deeply and by submitting to His loving headship. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32, KJV) The intimacy that is shared within the context of marriage is likened to Christ’s relationship with the church. In order to have such intimacy, we need to abide in Him recognizing that He is the life-giving vine (John 15). This connection that we have with Christ necessitates that we have a heart of love for Him, a conviction to order our lives in a manner consistent with the Bible, a commitment to be obedient to His leading, and the discipline to spend time with Him to develop a closeness to Him that will cause the us to live all of life radiantly and joyfully.

God has a love for the church that is shown in many various manifestations, including the promises that He has given of the ultimate victory that awaits His people. Are we being a faithful bride by serving the Lord Jesus, knowing and applying God’s Word, carrying out the specific works that God has prepared for you, and abiding in Christ by seeking to know Him and submit to Him? Or are you guilty of having forsaken your love for your blessed Redeemer by seeking to fulfill your own selfish desires, planning to build your own kingdom rather than advancing His, neglecting your time with Him, and using your own reason rather than God’s revelation to make decisions? Love the church and may the world around us see this love as a testimony of the power of Christ, as indicated in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (KJV)

October Family Newsletter: Giving to Others - Part 5

Operation Christmas Child Packing Party

By Amara Jachim

I like packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child at a packing party. First, I walk to where some people are wrapping shoe boxes with fun paper. I pick a box I like and open the lid. I go to the first table that has T-shirts, socks, and underwear. After that, I walk to the next table that has toys like small puzzles, little cars, stuffed animals, dollies, little balls, and hair things such as ponytail holders, barrettes, hair clips, and bows. On that same table there are also school supplies like pencils, colored pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners, erasers, and notepads. On the next table, there is candy like Tootsie Pops, small candy canes, and various hard candies.

On the other end of that table there is toothpaste, tooth brushes, soap, combs, hair brushes, and small purses. When I finish packing the shoebox, I walk to the end of a table that has rubber bands, tape, and labels that you mark if the box was for a boy or girl. The label also shows the age ranges of 2-4 years, 5-9 years, and 10-14 years. I pick up the pen that is nearby and check one of the squares. Finally, I put one rubber band on each end to hold it closed and then tape the label on the lid. I pack several more boxes like this and it is fun.

October Family Newsletter: Giving to Others - Part 4

Why is Operation Christmas Child Good?

By Aidan Jachim

Operation Christmas Child is a worthwhile ministry to give to, because it allows poor children around the world feel that someone cares about them. First, people that they do not even know sent them things that they need and can enjoy. Second, they put money, time, and effort into sending them these things.

Most importantly, the good news of a Savior is shared with them. Each child receives a little book about Jesus in their own language and the people that give the boxes to the children pray with them. Often, they will even deliver a fun message about Jesus if there is a big group of children.

Around Christmas time, we tend to think about what we want. Acts 20:35 says, “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Operation Christmas Child provides us a good way to think of and give to others. On the first Christmas, God was thinking of others by sending his son to earth to save us from our sins. We should do the same by thinking of others. Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

WHAT WE BUY FOR SHOEBOXES

We have fun packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and the easiest place we can find the items we need is a dollar store. We each have something we hunt down. Puzzles, games, and other toys are the gifts for which Dad and Jordan search. Mom sees how far each dollar can go on school supplies. Amara digs for the cutest, softest baby dolls.

I like finding balls and cars. I get balls with which you can bounce or play catch. The cars I choose are small ones, because they fit in shoeboxes easily. I check the cars to see if they are in good condition, that they are not scratched, cracked, or missing stickers or wheels.

When we are finished, we compare our items with each other. We make sure not to buy things that can leak or melt, such as shampoo, snow-globes, bubbles, chocolate bars, or other candy that can melt. We also avoid war-related toys because some countries have wars, so the children there would not like to be reminded of them. Once we finish inspecting, we buy everything in our cart and take it to our car. We are excited about packing our treasures in shoeboxes for others when we get home.

October Family Newsletter: Giving to Others - Part 3

Don’t Tread on Me!: The Role of Civil Government in Aiding The Poor

By Jordan Jachim

In helping the needy, a common response even from Christians is, “Take government money! Let the government handle it; I’m too busy (or financially strapped, or whatever)!” Does the State have a role in helping the poor? The Apostle Paul gives us the clearest definition of the civil government’s role.

“For he [that is, the magistrate] is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” (Romans 13:4, KJV)

The purpose of civil government in the Bible is twofold.

• First, to punish evildoers
• Second, to reward those who do good

Pretty simple? No 501(c)3’s or Health Care Bills or even Stimulus Packages. Just reward the good guys and punish the bad guys, either via restitution or execution. That’s it. Wait, isn’t it nice for the State to help the poor? Beware!

God established separate and sovereign spheres of influence. There is the Family, and their symbol of authority is the rod with which to spank a rebellious child. Then there is the Church. Their symbol of authority is the keys, by which they can bar the Lord’s Supper and the fellowship of the church to a member living unrepentantly in sin. The State holds the sword to symbolize their power to deliver justice to those who have committed crimes (as defined by the Bible).

Now, if for some reason (barring Divine judgment) a man or woman becomes poor, their family is to care for them.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:7, KJV) Paul does not say that the state is to provide for the family, but that the father is to provide, because this passage is addressed to fathers. But what if, by some divine working of God, the father is rendered unable to provide the basic elements of life (food, clothing, shelter)?

“At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.”

(Deuteronomy 14:28-29, KJV)

This section of verses teaches a few interesting things. First, that you must pay tithes to God’s minister. This is non-negotiable. Far from being done away with at Christ’s death, we must pay not only tithes but also offerings. The only things which we are no longer obligated to do were ceremonies which foreshadowed Christ (e.g. animal sacrifice to atone for sin showed Christ’s sacrifice). Notice the phrase “within thy gates.” This teaches a local jurisdiction of the church, as opposed to one man or committee ruling the Church catholic (“Church catholic” just means the universal church; not to be confused with the “Roman Catholic church”).

Now, look at where the tithes go after being laid up. They are fed to the Levite (the Lord’s minister) the stranger, fatherless, and widow, three groups who tend to be poor. Again, study the phrase “within thy gates.” This teaches a local division of charity. One centralized organization lording it over independent jurisdictions (e.g. the Federal government as opposed to the state governments) has no business distributing either the Lord’s tithes or the wages stolen from you by the State.

But why is local better than national, anyway?

First, the local minister or sheriff knows the people of the community more closely. To a high-level bureaucrat (either the church or state kind), the people are just so many nameless revenue-producing sources to provide nest-feathering material. The local sheriff or pastor knows the community, and their unique situation.

What if the church won’t provide for the poor? Does the State come in then? The answer is a solid “No”. If neither the family nor the local church will provide, other believers in different congregations must take up the ball that the other institutions have dropped.

Sadly, other believers must take the brunt of provision now, because the church is more interested in entertaining the congregrants than helping the needy. It will not be pleasant for those churches when the Lord asks them what they did with His money. They had anti-Biblical programs to draw the crowds, but what about the single homeschooling mom that they staunchly refused to help, even telling her to apply for government aid, get a job, and sacrifice her children to a pagan idol called public school? “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

As God designed it, family provides first, church provides next, while the state keeps bad guys from interfering with the provision. If the State provides, it logically follows that the State can take away. If they give you money, they can also tell you what to do with it. Our response to a government handout (of money stolen from the working man) should be the same as our founders put on their first national flag: “Don’t Tread on Me!”

October Family Newsletter: Giving to Others - Part 2

Ministering Unto the Least of These

By David Jachim

One of the great teachings of Holy Scripture can be seen in Matthew 25, where Jesus is communicating the truth about the separation of the sheep from the goats at the time of the eternal judgment. In this passage, the sheep are those who are righteous having received that righteousness through their faith in Christ, while the goats are those who are unrighteous based on not bowing before God’s throne of grace to become born-again believers.

There is a message that we as children of God can learn from the words of Christ to both the sheep and the goats that should serve to spur us on toward love and good deeds. As we examine these words, we should be inspired to diligently minister in the Name that is above all names. In this passage, Christ commends the sheep for giving Him drink when He was thirsty, food when He was hungry, clothing Him when He was naked, visiting Him when He was sick, and coming to Him when He was in prison. When the people of faith question Jesus asking when they served Him in this manner, the Lord responds with the following:

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40, KJV)

We see that by reaching out to others and giving to them in their time of need, the view of our Lord and Savior is that we are ministering directly unto Him. Therefore, we should first be looking to those that are around us to determine what their needs are and then we should be prayerfully considering how we can meet those needs. Christ’s words should cause us to ask the following question: “If Jesus had these needs, would I be willing to meet them?” I would hope that we would all be able to answer that question without hesitation or reservation with a resounding “YES!” While it is true that there is no way that we can meet every need that we see, that should be no excuse to be people of inaction.

God has given us a tremendous privilege as His children to be ambassadors for Him and represent Him to the world. What an incredible blessing to know that as we help others and meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, we are doing that which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. There will be at least the following five blessings that result from these acts of love and service:

• First, the most obvious blessing is that the receiver will be provided something that they need.
• Second, the receiver will be provided with the blessing that they are not alone on this earth in whatever situation they are facing.
• Third, the giver will be blessed with the joy of being needed and able to help someone.
• Fourth, the giver will be blessed with the knowledge that the Name of Christ, as well as Christ Himself, will be honored.
• Fifth, the giver will be blessed in the life that is to come by the Lord Jesus Christ.

After the conversation with the sheep, the Lord addresses the goats. When the goats are told that they ignored the needs of the Lord, they question Jesus when it was that they failed to meet His needs. In a manner that is similar to the words to the sheep, our Lord indicated that by not ministering to those that God brought to them that these goats did not minister to Him. The following words of Christ represent His judgment on these goats for their failure:

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:45-46, KJV)

Just as satisfying the needs of the least of these was honored by Jesus, so the failure to fulfill these needs is judged by our Lord and He counts this abandonment of others as being done directly against Him.

To be certain that this passage is clear, the Lord is not teaching that whether we enter into heaven is dependent upon the works that we do here on this earth. It is only by faith that we are saved from our sin and the eternal judgment that our sin deserves. While we are not saved by our works, as followers of Christ we are to be bearing good fruit (Luke 6:43-45). We should be joyfully seeking to serve others as a way to honor and glorify our Lord. Our desire should be to shine our light before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. In so doing, we will be directly serving our Lord and can look forward to receiving a reward when we stand before Him at the final judgment for carrying out these works. Go forth and serve Christ by wholeheartedly giving to those that the Lord brings to you who are in need - even the least of these!

October Family Newsletter: Giving to Others - Part 1

The theme of our irregularly scheduled family newsletter for the month of October is "Giving to Others". God's Word is sufficient for every area of life and as His children we are to be reaching out to those in need with the love of Christ. May these series of articles be a great blessing to you as you read them and may you be inspired by the great privilege that we have in ministering to the needs of others. This first article is written by my beloved bride, Jill, about the Gleaning the Harvest ministry.

Gleaning the Harvest

By Jill Jachim

When a Christian homeschooling mother, for various reasons, finds herself without a husband to financially provide for her and her children, what should she do?

The world's wisdom would tell her that now she must obtain government assistance, place her children in daycare and public school, and get a job outside her home. This would create more upheaval in the already fragmented family, and most importantly, the mother would be abandoning the God-given commands to train her children and keep the home (Titus 2:5).

God's wisdom as found in Scripture, however, would instruct the mother to do all things commanded by Christ (John 15:14)--that means EVERYTHING commanded in the Bible, not simply the things that are comfortable or convenient. She is to teach her children and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deut. 6, Eph. 6:4). She is (as is everyone) to seek first the kingdom of God and all these things (food and clothing) shall be added unto her (Matt. 6:33).

Just how will these things be added unto her? How IS the mother who stays at home without a husband's income going to provide for her family? The Lord Himself will take care of the mother who trusts in Him (Matt. 6:26).

There are several ways the Lord will provide. To the prayerful mother, He may give creative ways to save on expenses when she is seeking solutions. Our God is a wonderful, creative God and He made us in His image. We can be very creative when we are devoting our trials to prayer and asking for help (Psalm 55:22).

Another way the Lord provides is through the mother's (and sometimes children’s) industry from the home. She may be able to sell things she no longer needs. Perhaps she even makes things that can be sold. There are so many wonderful avenues through the internet now that enable a woman to stay home and yet sell her wares. Being industrious and creative and doing her best work will often help supplement her income. This, too, is supported by the Bible in Proverbs 31.

God supports a single mother through the gifts of His people. We are to feel compassion on those that need help (1 Peter 3:8). We pray for them, and give to them.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27, KJV). When God brings a need before you, prayerfully consider just how you can help. Even the smallest gift could make all the difference. If everyone gave even a little bit, how much better off these moms would be!

Gleaning the Harvest is an internet ministry that helps you to minister to the needs of widowed and single home schooling Christian mothers. Gleaning seeks to support the single mom who chooses to obey God’s commands to train up her children and keep the home. This ministry does not take any portion of your gift--they are simply a clearing-house. Your donation goes directly to an account of the family of your choice. It provides you with an outlet for leaving “gleanings” from your field, albeit a virtual, though not literal, one (Deut. 24:19-22). There are currently six families listed on Gleaning the Harvest, and you can read a profile on each family at the following website:

www.GleaningtheHarvest.com

One of the families on the roster of Gleaning the Harvest is my friend, Bridgette Silvas. She was suddenly thrust into the position of acting as a single mom when her husband was taken to jail a few months ago. She desires very much to obey the Lord’s commands to stay home with her 8 children--to continue to teach them at home, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She is fearful at times, yet she has learned to have greater trust in the Lord. He has shown Himself to be faithful to take care of her as she obeys Him. God has provided in part by moving in the hearts of others to give to her.

Please pray for her! She has greater responsibilities now, and needs wisdom, endurance, and grace to persevere each day. Please consider giving to her Gleaning fund if you are able. As we reach out to help others with the love of Christ, we can dispel the darkness of the world’s wisdom with the light of God’s wisdom.

Valentine's Day Newsletter - Part 5 (Final)

The fifth and final article in our Valentine's Day newsletter was written by me (David) on the role of the patriarch of the home to lead by love. Christ is the example for the husband and as husbands we are commanded to love our wife in the same manner that the perfect Son of God showed His love for the Church by laying down His life for her.

Loving by Leading

By David Jachim

The Bible has a great deal to say about the topic of love, as well it should since the God of Holy Scripture IS love! It is God’s perfect being and character that provides us with the very definition of love. Apart from God Almighty, we would be unable to know what love is. He has given us a gracious gift by allowing us the privilege of experiencing love in this life, as well as in the life to come. This gift of love includes our relationship to our Creator, as well as our relationship with those who are on this earth, especially those of our own family.

In the family structure, God has ordained certain roles and responsibilities that must be fulfilled by the various members of this unit in order to function as a biblical, Christ-honoring family. For the husband and father of the family, the role is to be the leader in the home. This leadership is clearly communicated to us in the book of Ephesians, where it states:

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church(Ephesians 5:23, KJV)

The question to answer is not “Who should lead?”, but “What kind of leader should the family patriarch be?” In order to answer this question, we must look to God’s perfect Word since we know that the Bible is sufficient for us in every area of life. For the husband, Scripture teaches us that Christ is our example and we are called to live in a manner that models the love that the Savior has shown to His Church. In Ephesians 5:25, we are taught the following:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (KJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the standard by which we are to model love in the closest and most intimate relationships that God has given us on earth. As we look to Christ and how He leads His Church, we will know how we are to lead our wife and family.

Let us examine the leadership of the Lord and determine what specific applications we can make based on this perfect example. Our love should be like His and contain the following aspects:

Providing love - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, KJV) The Lord meets all of our needs and we must model His provision toward us by responsibly caring for the needs of those in our family.

Protecting love - “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, KJV) The Lord protects us from our enemy and as the leader in our home, we must be guarding those under our care. We must be aware of the many influences that communicate messages (including people, magazines, books, music, movies, and clothing) and make sure that our household is managed in a manner that only allows messages that are consistent with godliness.

Sacrificial love - “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [sacrifice] for our sins.” (1 John 4:4, KJV) Since Jesus showed His love by sacrificing His life for His Bride, we must live a life that will sacrifice our selfish ambitions and pursuits. We need to be willing to lay down our life daily to care for our family and their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Sanctifying love - We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10, KJV) Just like Jesus performs a work in His Church to bring them along the path of holiness, we need to be discipling our wife and children in the ways of the Lord. Our words and our actions should teach our family the importance of being faithful servants who are obedient to all of the Lord’s commandments. In order to carry out this responsibility, we must know the Law of God ourselves and must be able to effectively communicate that Law to those that are under our authority.

Unconditional love - But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4-5, KJV) Just as God showed his love to us when we were in rebellion against Him, we need to show an unconditional love to our family that is not dependent on current performance or past achievements.

Forgiving love - Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34, KJV) When Jesus was being crucified on the Cross of Calvary, He willingly forgave those who put Him to such an agonizing death even though they did not ask for His forgiveness. As we model Christ to our family, we must have a love that is willing to forgive and not keep any record of those wrongs.

Honoring love - Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1 Peter 3:7, KJV) We are to show our love to our dear help meet by giving her honor through our words and actions that demonstrate how precious and delicate she is.

Intercessory love - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25, KJV) As the leader in our home, we must be making prayerful intercession to our gracious Heavenly Father on behalf of each of the precious souls that God has entrusted to us.

Compassionate love - Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren (1 Peter 3:8, KJV) Just as Jesus is full of compassion, the love for our family should be compassionate, always looking to the best interest of those under our care.

This Valentine’s Day, may we give our families something of greater worth, more meaning, and more lasting than flowers or candy. May we give them a commitment of love that will be consistent with the ideal that Christ has modeled for His Church.

Valentine's Day Newsletter - Part 3

Our next article is a very touching short story written by Jordan (age 15). This story provides a great example of what it means to live a life characterized by love each and every day.

Lay Down Your Life

A Short Story by Jordan Jachim

Sir Christopher watched with dread as the crossbow was deliberately pointed at his wife, whom he had loved and cherished for so many years.

“Kill me, but spare her!” he shouted desperately to his captors. None honored him with a response. At last, he came up with a plan to preserve her life—at least for the moment. As the crossbow bolt was discharged, Sir Christopher leapt in front of it, taking the arrow in the region of the chest. The enemy was stunned as the gallant knight collapsed to the floor.

“Christopher, why?” his wife managed to gasp out through a deluge of tears.

“Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He struggled for breath, and when he had finished this speech, every word of which was an unspeakable burden to utter, he died. The dark knights stood stupefied. This was so contrary to their idea of “survival of the fittest.”

Wow, I thought as I closed the book momentarily. I imagined myself doing that for my wife, who was in the distant future. What a spectacular example of love, and it would really twist the nose of the bad guys.

“You need to wash the dishes now!” my mom called.

“Coming,” I said reluctantly as I slammed the book shut.

Why do I have to do something as useless as washing dishes? They’ll just get dirty again anyway. Why can’t I do important stuff, you know, like the author of that book? That’s something BIG for God, not like dishes.

I sulked as I slowly wound my way out to the kitchen. While I ran hot water in the sink, I fumed over this disturbance to my reading all the while.

That night, I regaled my dad with a short, imperfect, and choppy synopsis of the book.

“Wasn’t that neat how the guy just died for his wife? I mean, now that’s sacrificial love!”

My father smiled. “Yes,” he agreed, “that is a good example of laying down one’s life for his friends.” Then he changed the topic. “Your mother tells me that you were reluctant to do the dishes. And delayed obedience is the same as disobedience.”

I was caught red-handed.

“But, Dad,” I began, then couldn’t think of anything else to say in my defense.

“Do you realize,” my father continued, “that washing the dishes for your mother is laying down your life just as much as that fictitious knight did?” He reached for his Bible and flipped through the thin gilded pages. They made a pleasant rustle, but at last he stopped. “Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:31,‘I die daily.’ This is not literal, but instead refers to the crucifixion of the selfish desires, which is a battle we must fight every day.”

“So, I just have to give up everything I want to do?” I retorted.

“Not exactly,” my father countered swiftly. “But it does mean that you should help others before thinking of what you want.”

My father ended the conversation, challenging me by saying, “Why don’t you try laying down your life tomorrow? Then, you’ll be doing the same thing as that knight.”

Well, I decided to follow my father’s advice. That morning before starting, I prayed that God would help me as I tried to lay down my life. I washed the dishes cheerfully, without being asked. When I had finished, I sat down and opened my book. “Where was I?” I muttered. It was then that my little sister had a problem with pressing flowers. The stack of books fell down and made a horrific noise, scattering books and flowers all over the place.

“Would you help her?” my mom called, with her hands deep in breading chicken. So, I shut my book and stuffed her flowers back into the dictionary, under the monumental pile of other books. Then I helped her cut some more flowers and press those, too. When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, I plopped on the couch and opened the book. But, my little brother decided that he wanted me to play Monopoly, or, more precisely, he wanted someone different to hammer with his real estate smarts. I complied, and he pummeled me, winning with over $20,000. “That was fun!” he said. I had a slight difference of opinion, but did not bother to voice it.

Well, it would bore you if I was to tell everything I did that day, but I could put it into a single sentence which gives you the point. Every time I sat down to read, I needed to help someone with something. I was tempted many times to feel sorry for myself, but I rejected that idea with God’s help.

That night, I had a hard time sleeping, so I went over the day in review.

I didn’t get a lot of time to read, but I did lay down my life, just like my dad challenged me. And, I thought, maybe this is harder than taking a crossbow arrow, or a bullet, for someone you love. After all, you can only die once, but you have to deny your own selfishness multiple times in a day, every day. So possibly, I did something harder than that knight in the story. I yawned and rolled over. Maybe I should write a story about laying down your life every day. Yes, that’s it…zzz.

The End

Valentine's Day Newsletter - Part 2

The next article in our family newsletter on the topic of love is the work of Aidan (age 13). Aidan contrasted the biblical view of love with the world's view of love and found that there really is a vast chasm between the two.

God’s Love vs. The World’s Love

By Aidan Jachim

The Bible talks about love in 1 Corinthians 13. It says that if we had faith that could move a mountain, but did not have love, our faith would not be worth anything. However, the world would think we are great because we could move a mountain. Since they only look at the outside, they think that love is just an option. The Bible disagrees, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8, KJV) So it is not optional for Christians to love people; we need to show God’s love to them.

The world thinks that love is not only optional, but also that love should be about yourself. If someone suits them for the moment, they love that person, but when they get tired of that person, the love is gone. They also remember peoples’ offenses against them. The world’s love is false. God’s love is true, and God did not stop loving us even while we were sinners. When we repent, He does not keep record of our sins.

Instead, He loved us so much that He sent his own son Jesus to earth to die for us. Because He died for us, you can go to heaven when you die, if you accept His invitation. All you need to do to accept this offer is to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and trust in His death for you. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” This Valentine's Day, if you have not already, please take His gift.