God’s Grace with Wonderful Conditions
January 23, 2021
Chapter 2 of God-Fearing Families
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:26-28a
God created the Earth, and He created man and woman. God ordained marriage and the family.
The family is a unit that is like an individual cell in the body. Each family is very important, and we all take care to help each family become all that it should be. We care about the existence of each family, and like the cells in the body, we are all there for the good of the whole. God’s brilliant and eternal work of the eradication of evil and the embellishment and the nourishment of everything that is good—from His Holy Personality, His Holy Spirit—should be paralleled in the home.
When Jesus came, his food was to finish the work of God.[1] Parents should take care of this responsibility first and foremost—to ensure that this priority is passed down to each child in each generation. Therefore, the purpose of the family unit is the Will of God…to be holy as He is Holy, and to be Christlike, just like our Christ. Upon laying down sin and living for God’s Will as Jesus did, you automatically accomplish a unity that is impossible to destroy by the gates of Hades or the perpetual demonic attacks from the enemy. You see, the Church is built on the strength of each and every family unit, and therefore they are respected. Each family is valued equally as a part of this plan so that we work together, not in competition with each other as the world does. It is the opposite of the world because we help each other to be strong and upright.
How do we pass this way of life down to our children? It starts in the heart. Each of us must lovingly fear God above all. This respect can be seen in your conversation—from the abundance of the heart, so the mouth will speak.[2] What is the conversation in your home? That conversation is a barometer of how much loving fear you have. When you have it, you will speak it to the family and then to the children and to the grandchildren. Children will respect what you respect, and they will worship what you worship, and they will adore what you adore. If you are into self, they too will adore themselves in various ways. This worship of self, even in the smallest ways, breaks up, divides and destroys—first that person…and then their family.[3]
When you consider God and His Creation, and that is what your mind is focused on, it becomes easy to build up His Kingdom. God is a genius, so it is easy—He is worthy of all our admiration! And from this fear and adoration comes a most esteemed wisdom for everyone in the family from the oldest to the youngest…The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
By considering God with wonder-filled fear and awe, we will automatically find this wisdom and this knowledge of God, which is priceless! This fear of God is natural in the beginning of a child’s life if the parent encourages it from birth and does not suffocate this fear of God by their own selfish ambitions on this Earth. God had the Israelites live very simply in life, living in tents where the doors opened facing the Presence of God Himself in the Most Holy of Holies at the center of the camp in the Tent of Tabernacle. Imagine growing up in that way…waking up and facing God every day, with a family that is getting up and sacrificing to God first thing in the morning, worshiping Him and praying to God throughout the day, living simply, waiting for the word from Moses, which would give the direction from God, watching the fire at night to go to sleep knowing that this warm, loving protection was over each family and each tribe in that cold night…then sleeping in peace and waking to the precious cloud by day that kept them cool and protected them from the heat of the sun. How wise will be the children raised up in this atmosphere! What is more, in God’s genius, He rewards those who adoringly fear Him and give Him their love, time, respect and attention. Bottom line, those families who give their lives to this wondrous God will be rewarded.
A Loving Fear
Wisdom is a wonderful reward, but this essential loving fear gives back so much more than just wisdom. The family, in fact, will have no needs if this loving fear is the true pursuit of the father and the mother and the children. It is the fountain of life…
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. Psalm 33:18
The angel ofthe Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 34:7
He will have nofear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7
This is beautiful protection! But there is even more than protection. There is long life, the fountain of life. This loving fear prolongs your days…
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoidsevil. Proverbs 16:6
The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Proverbs19:23
Humility andthe fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
This is insurance beyond insurance—no trouble, no fear, protection, a deliverance from evil, being given the fountain of life and the promise of a long life! What else could a mere mortal ask for? What more could a family need?
One important key in learning the fear of the Lord is gathering with like-minded Believers…Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 31:12 It is essential to take your children to the Great Assemblies in order to learn this fear and how to teach it. This does not refer to just “any” assemblies. As you grow closer to God in your life, there will come a time that you will have to make a choice of where you attend assemblies, where you go to Church, for the sake of your children and children’s children. This Church must not just be there for your convenience, but it is there for the continuation of God’s Kingdom and His Will.
Daily conversation about God is essential. Many verses point out that we need ears to hear…we need to listen, we need conversation, and we need to hear the Truth. This matters. Truth makes all the difference. Truth sets you free; it completely changes your life. Truth is essential in this procedure to obtain this holy fear and this loving adoration of God, and it is vital if we are to teach this relationship to our children.
This is about a relationship with God, but just the thought of a mortal being and an Immortal Being having the opportunity to build a relationship seems impossible. However, God in His Love allows us—a mere man, a mere woman or a mere child—permission to have a relationship with God Almighty. How could we neglect this great opportunity, this essential chance for life on Earth and life for eternity? This life of separating good and evil, starting with gaining a holy fear of God—which is the beginning of wisdom—is the most amazing life.
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs 15:16
The fear of theLord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 15:33
He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.Proverbs 14:26
For any of this to grow in our hearts, it is essential to adore Christ. Each family member practices all the characteristics of Christ as they learn about and apply God’s authority lines—the correct roles for the father, for the mother, for the son, for the daughter, for the eldest child and for the line of authority all the way up. We learn by practicing submission at home, sharing at home, loving at home, with the greatest respect for each individual there, and demonstrating all the fruits of the Spirit at home….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.[4] If this is not done in the home, it will not be done outside the home. And if the family does not implement this, the whole Church suffers and will not be strong. It has to be taught and upheld in the home.
These family units were not a concept of man, and this is not made up of men’s rules. This is the Will of the genius of God, the God who made all of Creation, and when all is done His way, you have the most glorious concept called the God-Fearing Family. This family will be the building block of the most glorious Kingdom of God, the Church…the Kingdom of Love. With each person fulfilling their God-given role—there to help each other with full respect, not just one day a week, but every day of the week from the morning to the night, treating your parents, your siblings, each other with the most regard and respect as each are Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, preparing each other for the next life to come—that is the sure way of passing the Truth of God and the Will of the Most High God down to each generation. May more attention be given to an entity that God has ordained on Earth from the beginning of time for the purpose of securing good and separating out the evil—so as to create the beautiful.
A Rich Inheritance
How do you create a God-Fearing Family? How do you expect your children to be what you are not? It seems impossible, and that is why it starts with the parents and the grandparents, because you cannot transfer to your children what you do not have yourself. Start today and make a connection with God in your life. You must have a genuine relationship with God to pass this rich inheritance to your children. Your children do not need money or worldly education more than they need to see you with the fear and love of God. The fathers and mothers who spend their efforts in acquiring money, thinking that possessions are the most important, will not have stable homes. Stable homes will belong to the parents who acquire a relationship with God and who spend their efforts, the rest of their living days, on being kind and uplifting, loving, respectful parents. This relationship builds stability, and these children will advance and will go far beyond all the children on the Earth. These children will have so much more than children who are given great material possessions, a large house, the biggest toys, exotic vacations and expensive cars. Things do not make this household that I am referring to, the household that God wants. If the father is strong enough to be loving and kind to the wife, and if the parents reach out to the needy, then you will have a stable family and productive, stable children.
Since we have witnessed destruction of the family unit—and are now witnessing a revival—we all have a great responsibility to build up a true, God-fearing and God-focused family. You must read on. May we never forget this responsibility…may God’s Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven so that we can all point to this glorious Genius, our God, our King!
Excerpt taken from God-Fearing Families.
[1] “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34
[2] The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
[3] The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1
[4] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
