So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28 NKJV)
And the LORD God said, “ It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18, 24 NKJV)
Wasn't it God's first command for us to be godly parents; having and raising Christians!?
My family is my first ministry. First I am to be a loving husband that is edifying my beloved wife. Secondly, I am to be a godly father bringing up our children in the Way they should go. These two responsibilities are above all else. They must come before any other duty or obligations in my life!
I think Islam has ONE THING right; and that is that they rapidly multiply, then raising their children Muslim therefor growing Islam...
When the Word tells us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel and make disciples", I personally see that my children are the "inner circle" of any disciples I might make in this life. Much like Christ preached to and converted many, yet had his closer 12... Or more so had an even closer 3 within those 12!
How much easier is it to raise disciples up from their youth, building their Biblical worldview and godly character from ground zero; rather than trying to convert an unbelieving adult usually set in their ways in our sin sick world?
I was blessed to have had the challenge of being a youth pastor in a nondenominational small town church for many years and see it like this ... If a persons life is a book to be filled or written; with our children we get to write up to 18 years worth of the Genesis pages of their life laying a foundation... But even as a mentor / pastor discipling teens (still very impressionable years in a persons life) I was only really able to write occasional pages sporadically throughout 4 to 6 years time! And that's with the inner circle of teens who were faithful in their attendance and serious about their walk with the Lord! ... In our normal day to day lives as believers, home and family, work, recreation and so on; even with our closest friends I dare say we have far less time / pages to write than what I was privileged with as a youth pastor influencing teens!
All this to say; God has really been convicting me concerning how paramount my fathering role is! ... We as believers have a picture of a "father" that follows us our whole life modeled after the father or fathers that raised us... I have more respect for my earthly father than any man I know, yet he did a terrible job in many ways being a godly example to his children! ... God help me follow you with all my heart, mind and soul to be the best possible example of Christ like character my children need in a father! I need your Spirit to accomplish this Lord!
May we all "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it" for the glory of our sweet Savior and King!
-Rusty
And the LORD God said, “ It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18, 24 NKJV)
Wasn't it God's first command for us to be godly parents; having and raising Christians!?
My family is my first ministry. First I am to be a loving husband that is edifying my beloved wife. Secondly, I am to be a godly father bringing up our children in the Way they should go. These two responsibilities are above all else. They must come before any other duty or obligations in my life!
I think Islam has ONE THING right; and that is that they rapidly multiply, then raising their children Muslim therefor growing Islam...
When the Word tells us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel and make disciples", I personally see that my children are the "inner circle" of any disciples I might make in this life. Much like Christ preached to and converted many, yet had his closer 12... Or more so had an even closer 3 within those 12!
How much easier is it to raise disciples up from their youth, building their Biblical worldview and godly character from ground zero; rather than trying to convert an unbelieving adult usually set in their ways in our sin sick world?
I was blessed to have had the challenge of being a youth pastor in a nondenominational small town church for many years and see it like this ... If a persons life is a book to be filled or written; with our children we get to write up to 18 years worth of the Genesis pages of their life laying a foundation... But even as a mentor / pastor discipling teens (still very impressionable years in a persons life) I was only really able to write occasional pages sporadically throughout 4 to 6 years time! And that's with the inner circle of teens who were faithful in their attendance and serious about their walk with the Lord! ... In our normal day to day lives as believers, home and family, work, recreation and so on; even with our closest friends I dare say we have far less time / pages to write than what I was privileged with as a youth pastor influencing teens!
All this to say; God has really been convicting me concerning how paramount my fathering role is! ... We as believers have a picture of a "father" that follows us our whole life modeled after the father or fathers that raised us... I have more respect for my earthly father than any man I know, yet he did a terrible job in many ways being a godly example to his children! ... God help me follow you with all my heart, mind and soul to be the best possible example of Christ like character my children need in a father! I need your Spirit to accomplish this Lord!
May we all "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it" for the glory of our sweet Savior and King!
-Rusty
