God's New Covenant with Neethi Faith

Does Not Even Nature Itself Teach You…

Does Not Even Nature Itself Teach You…

     This section will be a journey for me to write because I am going to attempt to communicate some “soulish” intuitions about the nature of the man’s authority over the woman in human words. I may end up not including this section in my book if it is not written coherently, but I pray that Lord-willing you and I will learn something from this. In the past year I have been trying to understand the authority of a man over a woman as described in Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian church about the necessity for women to wear head coverings.  In Paul’s instructions he conveyed that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. The head covering is a symbol of authority on the woman’s head. Paul asks, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her as a covering” For a woman to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered is a disgrace. And for a man to cover his head is a disgrace. For man is the image and glory of God; and woman is the glory of man. Man does not originate from woman, but woman from man. Man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. However, in the Lord, neither man nor woman is independent from one another. (see 1 Cor 11:1-16) God created woman from the man’s rib as a helper suitable for him. The man said that she was now bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh because she was taken out of him. And for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Gen 2:20-23) Thus, there are innate God-ordained differences between men and women:

1.     The woman is the glory of man.

2.     The woman originates from man [was taken out of him] and becomes one with him.

3.     The woman was created for man’s sake, to be a suitable helper.

     I have had a list of FAQs about these things for several years and I am going to write a summary of my journey of understanding what little I have come to understand. These FAQs included “Which man am I the glory of?”, “Which man was I created for the sake of?”, “Which man am I a suitable helper for?”, “Do these items apply to myself with regard to all men, all Christian men, Christian authority figures who are men, or only my father/husband?”, “How do these things apply to me in my singleness?”, “What exactly is authority?”, “What are the implications of oneness in flesh?”…and many others.

     I must admit that the culture of my upbringing does not seem to have benefited me in any way to understand the natural order that God has created. Dad and mom would have been a good example to me had I understood the true relationship between them. Dad and mom’s relationship could be described this way: mom pretends like she is the boss, but really dad is the boss and they both know it. I only realized this in the past few years, and thus most of my childhood, I was never taught and rarely, if ever, saw the God-ordained order of authority between men and woman displayed. But when I read the 1 Cor 11 and Gen 2 passage, I had realized that there is something very Spiritual and natural going on here between men and women. And yet our wicked culture has so quenched this ordination that we have altogether lost our understanding of it. I have needed the Spirit and Word to restore this lost understanding of the natural and Spiritual differences between men and women.

      Firstly, I will explain my present conviction about woman’s head coverings. I went through I period of time [about 2 years ago] when I covered my head during church. I did this in faith, having felt confused and uneasy whenever I read the 1 Cor 11 passage. I had no clue if God truly wanted me to cover my head, but I did so in faith. The passage said that women should cover the heads and I decided to obey. The first Sunday that I did so was very informative. God gave me comfort in my fear of the opinions of others, and I felt a kind of protection that I had never felt before. I felt that my soul was covered by the life of Christ. Of course, this had been true since I put my faith in Him, but I felt it in greater degree. In fact, though I expected to feel more honor and respect for my earthly father, the greater effect was an increased knowledge of Christ’s covering over me. The covering seemed to remove all subtleties of sensuality, pride, and, surprisingly, insecurity. I do not know how to explain this well enough. The Sundays after that first Sunday were not so inspirational and I eventually settled into a mode where my head covering made no difference whatsoever to my heart’s attitude as it had the first Sunday. I realized that I had been given an introduction to the nature of authority. Eventually I stopped wearing a head covering and I no longer felt guilty not to do so, though that does not make me faultless. The Lord is my Judge and Savior. I was informed that in the Corinthian church culture, most noble women would cover their heads, always, not only in church. Whereas, the prostitutes of the time, who were not under the authority of a husband, father, or any other Godly man, would not cover their heads. Thus, for a woman not to cover her head indicated that she was wanton, rebellious, sensual, brazen, and forsaking of Godly authority. Thus, both the good and bad angels, who lack omniscience, could see the outward manifestation of a woman’s heart by her action of covering or not covering her head. I heard some present-day men of God explain that the application of head coverings for the present day would be for a woman not to dress in the same way as the worldly women of the present day, but rather in a way that shows that she is in submission to Christ and Godlyauthorities. So though the prostitutes and magazine-cover women wear sensual clothing, I ought to be set-apart in purity and chastity in the way that I dress. My present conviction is that I ought to dress in a way that honors God and shows myself as set-apart from the culture of the day, in a way that shows I am in submission to God and my father, and not looking for inordinate affairs with wrong types of people. If God truly wants me to cover my head, I pray that He brings me to the point of conviction again…

     So my inward grappling with the ideals behind head coverings introduced me to these Spiritual mysteries of the God-ordained structure between men and women. Another event that happened was when Anand told me something very heart-breaking last year, and I thank him, because the hurt of it has healed with the Truth that I learned thereafter in my pursuit of comfort. He said, “Not many men are going to be able to lead you” and it stung greatly. I replied earnestly, “What do you mean? Why? What is wrong with me?” He replied that a man has to be extremely Godly to lead me. I initially started to comfort myself with the thought that I really was not as Godly as Anand thought and that he had not really seen my bad side completely. I also questioned what exactly a man needed to be able to lead me. Did he have to be much more intelligent than me? Did he have to have more knowledge of the Bible than me? Did he have to have a deeper prayer life than men? Did he have to simply be 20 years older or 2 feet taller than me so that there was no way I could threaten his authority? Did he have to just be approved of by dad and Anand? Did he have to be extremely strong in the areas where my flesh is weak? LORD, WHAT DOES A MAN NEED IN ORDER TO LEAD ME??? After Anand made this comment, I asked dad whether he thought that there were men who could lead me. His response was even more strange, “Yes, there are probably some men out there, but they would have to be very humble and desire only to build God’s Kingdom”. So then, again, I started questioning, “Does the man need to have a greater desire for God’s Kingdom’s advance than me to lead me?” and “Why would humility help a man lead me?”

     My first glimmer of hope came from The Story of Ian and Larissa, for which I am very grateful to God. Ian underwent a serious accident during their “courtship” and was put in a wheel-chair, unable to work, have children, speak properly, and other disabilities”. Larissa chose to marry him. She sacrificed her life to take care of him and to show him love and respect as his wife. The one thing that caused me to understand more about what a man needs in order to lead a woman was her sharing about how her husband led her. She gave an example in which Ian would just barely, with great struggle, be able to mumble the words, “God is good”, and Larissa would be led by these words and her soul would follow his lead for the day by his statement. Larissa was choosing to be led by Ian who could not work, elaborately teach or speak, give her children, physically comfort, or do most of the things which young women dream of their husbands doing for them. And yet, she wholeheartedly was led by him. What did Ian have that he could lead Larissa? What did Larissa have that she could be led by him? I realized that Ian had exactly what he needed: he had the anointing of the Spirit, faith, and the love of Christ. Larissa had exactly what she needed: humility, purity, faithfulness, servant-hood, and respect. She clearly understood the Biblical premise that she was made for her husband and sacrificed many earthly comforts to fulfill God’s calling in her life. She notes that God gave her a supernatural joy and peace in the midst of her sacrifice. She likely feels very blessed by Ian and does not consider herself as having made a sacrifice. Their testimony has encouraged numerous saints throughout the world to truly seek God to use their marriages to display the eternal Covenant between Christ and the church.

     There were several other questions I had when I felt anointed by the Spirit to write letters to the saints that I know. I knew that women were not to speak in the church or to authoritatively teach men and that positions of authority such as pastor and eldership were to be granted to men alone. Unlike some other women who felt threatened by these church ordinances, I felt protected by them. I felt extremely uncomfortable trying to imagine myself being a leader/teacher in the church over men [sorry, but I sometimes could not help but imagine every possible scenario of a given train of thought]. It felt like blaspheme to my soul to think of assuming any authority over any man, even young men. I attribute this feeling to the ordinate desires granted to me in my regenerated spirit. The flesh must be crucified continually in order to walk according to the desires of the regenerated spirit. I currently have much peace in writing letters, knowing that I assume no authority over men, and that I am under Christ’s and my earthly father’s authority. And if I speak Truth from the Scriptures, God in His authority uses His Word with His own power in the hearts of His people. It appears that the Godly men who are very secure in their God-given manhood, are most willing to be encouraged by a sister in Christ with no fear, because they understand my soul, and do not view me as an authoritative teacher, but as a dear sister who is sharing her testimony of her heart/minds interaction with the Word for the encouragement of the saints. My conscience is clear, because I have assumed no authority over men, and Lord willing, I write in agape and humility. I thought back to the state of my soul in the presence of men over the years. I realized that whenever I had been in the presence of a man, my soul subconsciously went under the headship of some of them. It was not something I consciously decided to have happen, but if I was in the presence of men, especially Christian men who had the Spirit of God indwelling them, my soul somehow yielded itself in respect. My voice and demeanor became more respectful, quieter, and gentle. Even if I was sharing a testimony of something God was teaching me [“praying and prophesying”], if men were present, my physical being subjected itself to my soul’s submission to any Spiritual male heads present. Whereas, I noticed that when I was with only women and children, I became more authoritative and outspoken, and assumed more responsibility. Sadly, there were probably some instances in my earlier life as a teenager when my soul was wrongly seduced to respect men that I ought to have avoided and I was quite uncomfortable and “lost” in doing so. Any yokes apart from Christ and His ordained yokes are cruel masters. I realize now that every inordinate affair in a woman’s heart originates from the inordinate subjection of her soul to the wrong authority. Though in some sense, coarse sensuality in a woman defies the authority of all men and she seeks to usurp her role as a woman by her wantonness. Eventually, I learned that not only did a man need the Lord’s anointing [the clear, humble, and loving heart of faith] to lead me, but God had given me a natural inclination to follow the man. These inclinations of Godly men to lead and of Godly women to follow are items which are manifested in the heavenly realms. The nature of such authority and submission structure is instituted by God in the heavenly realms, being manifested in our physical behavior. This structure does not depend on and does not even necessarily involve the physical talents of either man or woman. Thus, a woman like Larissa who is physically stronger, smarter, and more “able” in an earthly sense at just about everything than Ian, can submit to, honor, respect, and follow her husband. And Ian can truly lead Larissa with a clear conscience and a strong bold authority with no qualms about his physical weaknesses. Why? Because this authority structure is ordained by God and it remains.  “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28)”

     My understanding was confirmed by some words from a sermon by Paul Washer, “Recovering Biblical Womanhood”. He explains [min 10-12] that though a woman is able to be fulfilled and sustained in all ways by Christ, she was also made to be Spiritually led by Godly men. I have realized that if I am walking by faith, my soul immediately and faithfully resorts under the headship of God-ordained authorities: always my parents, and other Godly men such as Anand. However, the saints throughout the world are living in a day when most men are not taking responsibility to abide in the Word; this has greatly limited the pool of Godly men to which Godly women ought to submit themselves to [of course, we must show proper respect to all men].

     Just as there is a Spiritual order of headship between man and woman, there is also a type of authority that is granted to the elderly. A gray hair is a crown of glory (Prov 16:31) and the Israelites were commanded to rise up before the gray headed, to honor the aged, and to revere their Lord and God (Lev 19:32). One reason why the elderly are to be given respect, is that there is a general tendency for older men to have more wisdom and experience. For foolishness is bound in a child’s heart, but wisdom and understanding accompanies ages men and a long life (Job 12:12). We remember the example of King Rehoboam who was given good advice by his elders, yet, he rejected his counsel and listened to the evil younger men’s counsel (1 Chron 10). Peter told the younger men to be subject to their elders and to clothe themselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5). Paul told Timothy not to sharply rebuke and older man, but to rather appeal to him as a father (1 Tim 5:1). However, there is something that seems to surpass the authority of age itself, and that is the subjection of the soul of a man to Christ. As King David says, “I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts (Ps 119:100)”.  Similarly, Paul told Timothy not to let anyone look down on his youthfulness, but to show himself as an example to the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity (1 Tim 4:12). When a man is walking by the Spirit, regardless of his age or physical talent, Godly authority is bestowed to him. Another example of this is God’s sovereign election of Jacob over Esau. God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger (Rom 9:12).

    Finally, there is something about the nature of a man and woman’s oneness in flesh that is in stark contrast to what the world teaches us about the relationship between men and women. For in secular media, our society and our children are constantly taught that the love of a man for a woman is conditional. She must be irresistibly beautiful all the time, a wonder woman, money-making, interior decorating, cuisine artist, socially adept, perfect mother….in order to be loved by her husband. Somehow, the world teaches us that women who are not beautiful, physically talented, or capable are not worthy of unconditional love. The beautiful irresistible damsel in distress is rescued, saved, and sacrificed for…but the rest of the real damsels in the world who are not beautiful or “worthy” are left in the pit of destruction. Do we see how utterly contradictory this is to the nature of our Christ for His bride. While we were still sinners, in horrifying distortion of Spiritual beauty, He demonstrated His love to give Himself for us. He calls us a part of Himself. Each one is apt to love and take care of himself, whether or not he thinks himself to be worthy. Similarly, for a man to consider his wife to be one flesh with himself, he shows her unconditional love, whether or not she is worthy. Here in this love, she is filled with deep respect for him, and in her deep respect, his heart is filled with tender response….you know how this goes J. There is a general tenderness that all Godly men are to have for all Godly woman as Paul tells Timothy to treat the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity (1 Tim 5:2).

    I could go on and on but will stop here. I am still in the process of understanding these things which once upon a time, were understood in the hearts of many, but in our ungodly and crooked generation, are like buried treasure, that only the Spirit and Word can revive in our hearts and minds. 

An Ode to Strict Parents

Priceless Authorities (excerpt from Chapter 7 of "The Gospel and the Core of Purity")

     God has created man in His own image; male and female He created them (Gen 1:27). He is characterized by the Triune nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us focus on the characteristics of the heavenly Father. Our heavenly Father exercises sovereign and loving authority over His children. His discipline is painful and yet it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness for His children who are trained by it. As we submit to the Father of our spirits, we are able to live. (Heb 12:5-12) He rescues us from every evil attack. He delivers us out of each temptation through His discipline and restoration. He commands us to remain in His Word and to persevere in His true Doctrine. All of His commands to His children are given in love. All of His judgments and discipline are for the good of His children, to keep them in the faith and in the narrow path that leads to eternal Life. If we truly understood the consequences of sin both here in this world and in the age to come for those who reject Christ, we would worship Him with infinite gratefulness for His authority. When God’s judgments come on the world, the people of the earth learn righteousness (Is 26:9). When we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined by Him so that we are not condemned with the world (1 Cor 11:32).

    In short, a thorough understanding of the heart of our heavenly Father towards us in His discipline and the reasons for and results of His discipline would reveal His glorious love. We would cling to Him and never let go! So, let us consider those authorities whom He has placed in our lives to guard us against impurity. I want to share with you my deepest gratefulness and respect for the God-given authorities in my life. Sadly, I have not always respected and honored the presence of the discipline of the authorities in my life. But now, having been trained in righteousness by it, I would not take away a single word or act of discipline that I have received from my God-given authorities. Though my authorities have not been perfect in their administration of discipline in that at times it was given in anger and irritation, I would not erase any of it from my past.  Rather the sum of my prior discipline is engrained in my mind as priceless strings of pearls used by God is His tender refinement of my character.

He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.Prov 13:24

     I have not always been grateful for the discipline of my parents, but I have come to thank God frequently for it, because I understand in some measure the protection of my soul by my heavenly Father through my earthly parents’ discipline. Throughout my later childhood and early adulthood, I became best friends with my parents. Though periodically we had conflicts over my sin, generally my parents and I were united in our understanding and pursuit of righteousness. When the desires of the parents and children are for Christ’s righteousness, there will be less conflict since the goals and purposes of both are aligned. During the times of conflict, often I considered my parents’ authority to be harsh. I even conveyed to them that I felt hated as a child. Yes, I do regret having felt this way, and God has broken my heart over my former attitudes. I have seen my parents train me in the way I should go, and seen myself resort to their Godly teachings as I grew older (Prov 22:6).

     My parents are considered far more authoritative than many others around us. Their authority and discipline have been spoken of by others as judgmental, legalistic, and graceless. And here, I wish to convey that Anand and I, of all people, have seen the extent of my parents discipline, as harsh as it may have been at times, and we confer that we value all of it as priceless. God has used each piece of it, even the imperfect pieces, to train and mold us, to reveal the extent of our moral depravity apart from Christ, and to lead us to the cross. My parents did not grow weary in doing good, but persevered. As God progressively sanctified Anand and I, they are receiving the harvest of their efforts (Gal 6:9). Did they make mistakes? Yes, and they would admit that. But their harvest of righteousness far exceeds that which would have resulted had they neglected their responsibility as parents. Was their discipline painful? Yes, Anand underwent much Godly sorrow for his life as a result of his father’s dissatisfaction with certain parts of his life. And I went through many crying episodes in the shower as a teenager telling God “everybody hates me…” Even in early adulthood, God has used my parents’ reproof and discipline to humble me when I was on the verge of having a lofty heart, and to shatter my pride over what ought not to be taken pride in. I have come to a point in my heart where, when my parents rebuke me, it still hurts for the time, but deep down I know that God is going to humble me and cause me to repent. He is going to refine my character and make me more like Christ. And thus, I have come to thank God for my parents, and even to long for their rebuke. When we are wise in Christ, we will love those who reprove us. When we are given instruction, we will become wiser still. When we are taught our learning is increased. (Prov 9:8-9) The kind reproof of the righteous is oil on our head; our head should not refuse it (Ps 141:5).

    Currently I have a general routine that I go through when I am rebuked by my parents: When I first hear it, it stings, and I may say some words out-loud to defend myself and feel worse after speaking such. Then I withdraw and acknowledge the depravity of my flesh. The Spirit grants me humility and repentance. Then I plead with God to give me a new heart and spirit and to help me become like Christ. Then I confess my sin to my parents. It is a repetitive process that happens every now and then. I am amazed to see how God is changing me. These days, this process is short-circuited, and the Spirit’s conviction is there at the time of rebuke so that I am granted repentance more quickly. I pray that God will make me more humble and receptive to rebuke and discipline.

    My deep respect is given to every Godly parent, especially fathers, who are strict with their children. Yes, they make mistakes, but God will reward their faithfulness and their keeping good trust with what has been entrusted to them.

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.
²⁷ It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.
²⁸ Let him sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him put his mouth in the dust,
Perhaps there is hope.
³⁰ Let him give his cheek to the smiter,
Let him be filled with reproach.
³¹ For the Lord will not reject forever,
³² For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
³³ For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men. Lam 3

A personal observation: REGENERATE AUTHORITATIVE FATHERS TEND TO HAVE REGENERATE MEEK SONS AND REGENERATE MEEK SONS TEND TO BECOME GREAT MEN.

Notes to Self on Submission/Respect/Obedience

Notes to Self on Submission/Obedience/Respect

to your Father, parents, future husband, etc.

1.     Define your desire for freedom. You are prone to desire freedom without laying down your terms. What do you mean when you claim to desire freedom? Freedom for what and freedom to do what? What is it that you truly want in life? You want freedom to obey. You want freedom to live and act in the imputed righteousness of Christ. The freedom you desire is a freedom of soul to remain in a state of peace and joy in the midst of any yoke, gentle or harsh, that God has placed over you. What do you want freedom from? You do not necessarily want freedom from oppression or pain. You want freedom from the wickedness of your own sinful nature. In the submission of yourself, rather than becoming constrained or restricted, your soul will be set free. In obeying you will not become enslaved, rather, you are entering the domain of Spiritual freedom. Outside of this domain, your soul will be nothing but imprisoned to despair and guilt.

I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart. Ps 119

2.     Remember that His will is good, acceptable, and perfect. You will never be apart from His will in submitting to the authority that He has placed over you. Though you may feel that you are Spiritually hindered by something that you are commanded to do, remember that His will is good, acceptable, and PERFECT. He will never have you to sacrifice one item of righteousness to fulfill another. His narrow way consists of pure obedience and you cannot falter at any point. He is able to sustain you and provide for you in ways that you cannot imagine at the present time.

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12

3.     In your attitude of respect, do not forget the grace that you stand in. Remember that you are forgiven regardless of what is conveyed to you through others. In the midst of condemnation you may remain quiet just as Christ was like “a sheep before her shearers is silent”. Remember that God will defend you. Christ intercedes for you. Jesus stands at your right hand to save you from those who judge your soul. Love, respect, and obey, but never forget that there is no condemnation for you because you are in Christ Jesus.

³⁰ With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him.
³¹ For He stands at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who judge his soul. Ps 109

4.     Love your authorities. Obey the higher law of love. Not only must you obey, but you must seek Him and wrestle with Him until He gives you an unconditional love for your authorities. Continually pray for your authorities. You must continue to watch and pray otherwise you will surely fall into temptation. You need Him every hour. You must keep praying and seeking for God to correct the attitude of your heart. And once it has been corrected, you must continue to let the Spirit purge your soul in this regard. The agape that the Father grants you for your authorities will form a solid foundation for your obedience. Without love, submission is tremendously more difficult. Communicate your heart whether or not your feelings are treated well. With unconditional love, do not be aloof or non-communicative, but pour out your heart in love and humility.

⁸ Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Rom 13

5.     Know that the benefits of the conformance of yourself into the Image of Christ far exceed any temporary pain of obedience.The pain of the flesh during submission is a figment of the effect of pride on your mind. This pride will lock your mind and behavior into rebellion unless you allow Him to crucify it immediately as many times as you need to. The internal resistance to obey and respect and the resulting external flippant disrespect are easily washed away if only you will choose to deny self and remember His work on the cross. Your obedience is far less painful that you imagine it to be in the midst of your pride. The feeling of the breaking of pride is all in your head. The obedience and time afterwards will be an easy downhill journey. The breaking of the deception of your pride is the most difficult part. The minutes of momentary struggle are achieving for you a lifetime of peace and contentment in Christ. Once you overcome, remember the tremendous benefits to your character.

⁸ But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— Col 3

6.     Look for His hidden gifts and be gladdened by them.He will always encourage your heart with a special blessing and a “mercy for each hour”.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written,

      “ He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever.” 2 Cor 9

7.     Remember that God will administer His justice in His time. When your authorities are His children, the Father is infinitely more concerned with their holiness and righteousness than you are. He is at this very moment laboring on behalf of your and their progress in the faith. He is working to achieve true justice for all of His people so that their knowledge of Christ will be so great that regardless of what trials and temptations come their way, they will be hidden in the love, joy, and peace of Christ. For those yokes who are still in darkness, the destruction that awaits them is incomprehensibly terrible. View this even as a driving force for you to submit, knowing that His Gospel may be revealed in your submission so that they may escape this destruction by the knowledge of His great salvation.

²¹ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, ²² who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; I Peter 2

Hearts Turned to the Children

HEARTS TURNED TO THE CHILDREN

Dear Father,

      We praise You that You have given us the right to be called Your children. Thank You for causing us to receive You and believe in You. Please show us the right way that we ought to walk in with regard to Your children. Thank You for Your loving discipline which results in our sharing in Your holiness.

In Jesus Christ’s Name,

Amen

      God is doing a work to turn our hearts towards the young people in our midst: both our own children and other children within our Body of Christ. We are in the midst of the time when people will be “lovers of themselves” and disobedient to their parents” (2 Tim 3:2). Father’s will betray their own children and “children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death” (Matt 10:21). God has been teaching me several things about the way we ought to regard our children and I am compelled to write a short summary here. The items to be described relate to the nature of children, the relationship between God and His children, fathers and children, mothers and children, and older people and younger people.

     God is calling us to lovingly embrace the children in our midst. He is calling us to teach them His Word and to set an example for them to follow. He is warning us against neglecting them, looking down upon the work of raising them, and causing them to sin. We are essentially working to obey the Great Commission among the children. We are to pass on to them the true Light which alone will make all things clear for them as they grow up among the world of wickedness. These children will not see the downfall of society as we have. For they have entered a society that has already fallen to the deception of the love of pleasure, worldiness, lawlessness, sensuality, and godlessness. They were born into a lion’s den, a haunt for jackels and every wild creature. As they strive to survive they will grope in the darkness and they will find no light wherever they look. They will look but will not be able to find the Truth. For many who are not sincere will have joined us and even those who hold up the banners of Truth will be quenched with demonic influence. As for our children, their consciences will be dulled or seared, their eyes will be closed, and their minds darkened under the influence of demonic oppression. The desire for material things and the pleasures of darkness will rise within them and there will be no alternative laid out in their minds. They will  have fallen to the spirit of the antichrist. Their hearts would be ruled by the spirit of the world and they would be destroyed along with those who hate the glory of God. Indeed this will be the fate of many of these young ones who recently enter into our present day. And God is calling you to heed His Voice and pour out His love and Truth to these young ones.

     The important realization for us is that our ability to bring up this generation will depend on our reliance on His grace, our walking in His Truth, the removing of our pride, and our denouncing of the secret sins of the flesh. In this process we will come to find that before God we stand as equal heirs of the promise with these young ones and unless we all had seen the glory of God, we would have no hope of passing on the only true Light. If we did not love God and hold Christ as Lord in our hearts, we could not love our children.

⁵ “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. ⁶ He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4

1.     The Nature of Children

¹³  Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”Matt 19

     Here in Christ’s Words we acknowledge that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like little children. We are apt to ask the question, “Are children more likely to receive the Gospel than adults?” and “What kind of change happens between childhood and adulthood that renders the latter unfit for acquiring the Kingdom of God?”. As I have considered these questions and studied the nature of children I have found that children are by no means sinless. For we know that all humans were conceived in sin and every inclination of our hearts has been evil since childhood. But there were shown to be characteristics of children that were in most cases absent in adults. First of all, children are unlearned with regard to the hypocrisy and facading that we as adults are prone to show. They have no knowledge to put forth self-righteous fronts before men which are not based on the Gospel. As evil as children are, they are sincere, not necessarily honest, but they are sincere. And they are unable to hide the evil intents of their hearts and the lusts of their tiny flesh as we are able to. Secondly, children are aware of their helplessness and neediness. They willingly ask (by word or cry of mouth) for their needs to be met and they do not feel abased or demoralized at the concept of receiving help or material items from another. There are no learned feelings of awkwardness (which is one of many reasons why I find my heart’s delight in spending time with children: they are never awkward nor can they sense awkwardness in me).  And finally children long to be loved, cherished, held, protected… To summarize, though children are filled with wickedness, their innocence of learned evils allows many of them to remain poor in spirit. And we know that the poor in Spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God.

2.     The Relationship between the Fathers and Sons

     There is a somewhat lost concept of the intended design for the relationship between the father and son. This intended design is derived by studying the relationship between God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. To summarize this Divine relationship, the Father finds great pleasure in His beloved Son (Matt 3:17) and the Son is meant to exactly reflect the Father’s glory and character. The Son is the exact representation of the Father bearing all of His worth, glory, radiance, splendor, and honor. The Son was to live His life in perfect submission and obedience to the Father and to only do and say what the Father commanded Him to.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ² in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. ³ And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

⁵ For to which of the angels did He ever say,

“ You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?

And again,

“ I will be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?Heb 1

     Immediately the earthly fathers will feel at a loss when examining how their relationship(s) with their son(s) measure(s) up to this ideal. In one sense, sons rarely bear all of the good characteristics of their fathers nor would they be inclined to perfectly submit to and obey their father. And secondly, even if the sons perfectly reflected their fathers, the fathers would normally not be perfect beings worth perfectly reflecting. Furthermore, because of the failure of many sons to uphold the honor and glory of their earthly father’s good characteristics and their success at inheriting [and sometimes amplifying] his weaknesses, the father would not seek to find pleasure or honor in his son. The failure of his son to measure up to even himself [much less a perfect man] would cause a father who does not regard the Gospel to disown his own son. For in the flesh, the father would desire his own exaltation, and what he sees in his own son will simply never come close to reflecting the glory that the father feels he ought to have. I have seen numerous souls of men who have been crushed and demoralized at the failure of their sons to meet their requirement of a good representation of his own perceived glory.  For only when the earthly father has ceased to glory in his flesh is he able to do anything but disown an unworthy son.

     On the other hand, the son may attempt to imitate and obey his father early on in his life, but when he finds that he is unable or unwilling to obey his father, he will seek his own independence. For apart from Christ, any one seeks to be removed from any perceived yoke of responsibility or oppression. Or when his father has ceased to represent the son’s ideal of a glorious man, he will cease to honor, imitate, and obey him.

      In this case, apart from the Truth of grace, Christian fathers and sons would have been in a great dilemma. And indeed this is one explanation for the nature of these end times where children and fathers will turn against one another. The resolution of this dilemma starts with grace. The father must first of all receive His heavenly Father’s for his own sins. These sins are likely reflected in the son and only after the father receives forgiveness for his own sins is he able to forgive his son. Secondly the father must cease to find glory in his fallen self and find glory in the unchanging character of the Sovereign God of love. When the father’s glory is in the eternal Covenant, there is no human glory at stake and this will bring great peace to the relationship. The son then has the choice to glory in his father’s glory, that is, the heavenly Father’s glory. And the sorrow of the lost pride of life is removed. Ultimately, the father-son relationship for believing men must be based primarily on grace and forgiveness (much of it).

·        Dad and Anand have been blessed by God to grow much in this area.

3.     The Relationship between Women and Children

To the woman He said,

“I will greatly multiply

Your pain in childbirth,

In pain you will bring forth children;

Yet your desire will be for your husband,

And he will rule over you.” Gen 3

     Just as in Christ the woman is free from her desire to rule over her husband, in Christ, the woman is free from the Spiritual agony of raising children. All around me I see mothers, even Christian mothers, who are distressed, irritated, wearied, drained, and disinterested with their children. Though I have never given birth, based on my relationships with children, I believe that these mothers are throwing away a precious gift. Children were meant to be the heart’s delight of women. I believe that there is a part in the soul of a woman that is intended to be used to love children and to raise them in Godliness. Many women develop their relationships with children based primarily on authority and the failure of the modern day children to respect their authority leaves the woman in great distress. I have seen a different type of relationship between children and myself. For one of my weaknesses in dealing with children is that I do not know how to show loud authority. Many children have become some of my best friends. We pray together and pour out our hearts to one another. Secretly I have a much deeper relationship with children than these children may have with their own parents. It is as though the adulterated authority structure between mothers and children has destroyed the joy of their relationship. God is calling women to show Godly motherly authority. He is also calling them to BEFRIEND their children. You must capture the souls and hearts of your children and you must let them capture your heart and soul. This bond can only be established when Christ is exalted in the home and in the heart and again, when much forgiveness and grace is understood and shown. A mother must show authority in the Name of Godly discipline, but she must also be the best friend of her child. Even if her children go astray, she should be the one whom they would pour out their wicked hearts to. And indeed the grace and Truth that she is filled with will prove to be healing in the end. My mother has been my best earthly friend ever since I was in 9^th grade. I went through internal struggles and impurities, but my communication with mom allowed her to know every nook and cranny of my childish crooked heart. And though my heart had not been pure, her teachings from the Word of God are my present day stronghold. Ultimately, women must cultivate the part of her heart that God created for the bearing and nurturing of children. This will have profound effects on her own purity. For the heart that cannot love ordinately will seek inordinate affections, but “the mind controlled by the Spirit is Life and Peace”. I have a strong feeling that all of the energy behind the evil sensuality in modern women was meant to be used for the Spiritual nurturing of God’s children. Woman were created with intense affectionate hearts to be used appropriately to portray the love of Christ to these precious ones, for there are few remaining in this world to love them. May you seek out your children and the children in our midst whom you have yet to be acquainted with and love them dearly with the love that you have been shown. And if we have not known His love, we must seek Him for our soul’s satisfaction.

How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

² When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,

You will be happy and it will be well with you.

³ Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

Within your house,

Your children like olive plants

Around your table.

⁴ Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed

Who fears the Lord.

⁵  The Lord bless you from Zion,

And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

⁶ Indeed, may you see your children’s children.

Peace be upon Israel!

Ps 128

4.     The Passing Down of the Word of God

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 gates. Deut 6

     The greatest thing that we can do for our children is to teach them the fear of the Lord. We must teach them the Truth of the Gospel and of the infinite character traits of God. We must show them our own poverty of soul and our own receiving of His grace and forgiveness of our weaknesses. For when children have learned to fear God, the Truth of His righteousness becomes their anchor and they are unwilling to turn away from the One whom they have learned to honor and revere.

     Many have a wrong perspective that children cannot understand the Word of God or that their attention spans are too short to contain such deep information. In my experience children understand the Word of God to a great degree. While they may not understand other areas of study, when it comes to the Word of God, many of these children have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and working for their good. So what would otherwise be incomprehensible to their small minds become vivid and clear through the teaching and convicting work of the Spirit. I learn much from children or rather the Spirit speaking through them.

     We are in a world where the Word of God, the only Food by which man can live, is becoming scare. We must impart to them every morsel that we can before it is too late and the snares of the world have come upon them. The earlier we start and the more intensively we labor to impart the Truth to these children, the better will be the state of their souls in this wicked and perverse generation. The time for you to start pouring the Word into your children is today.

     Every piece of information that is taught to children shapes their perspectives and attitudes, having such a profound influence on everything else that they purpose to do, say, or think with the remainder of their lives.

     I am not sure why, but I have experienced that when we teach children the Word of God they will love us and long to be near us. Without using even an inkling of human authority [that I need to learn to show] the teaching of the Word of God commands the respect, admiration, clinging to us, and love from our children.

5.     The Setting of an Example

     The concept of honor, that is, to fix a high value to someone, is altogether lost from this wicked genernation. The young have neglected the old and the old have not loved the young. The concept  of honor is based on the setting of a good example by the one who is honored. That is, someone is honored because they have set a good example for others to follow. Do you see now why this concept has been lost in our society? The older generation has resorted to apathy and sinful pleasure and so they have ceased to set a good example. The younger generation has ceased to honor them due to their own rebellion and pride as well as the failure of the older generation to set a good example. On the other hand, there is no desire to set a good example from the older generation’s part because the younger generation has ignored them.  And the older generation’s feelings of uselessness have made them prey to the demonic temptations of earthly pleasure.

⁴ And I will make mere lads their princes,

And ^[e]capricious children will rule over them,

⁵ And the people will be oppressed,

Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;

The youth will storm against the elder

And the inferior against the honorable. Is 3

     God is calling the older generation to pursue Godliness and a zealous love for the advancement of the glory of the Gospel and thereby to set the example of holiness, purity, and truth. The younger generation is called to show unconditional honor to the older generation.

The younger generation is looking for meaning, purpose, passion, deep emotion, and zeal. And if the love for our Lord and Savior has not captured and possessed us, then they will not follow us. But if by the Spirit of grace, we put to death the misdeeds of the body, and show a holy and chaste life filled with intense Godliness, and passionate labor, their hearts will understand. For in the workings of grace that allow us to live a Godly life, the glory of God is revealed. And these chosen young children, when they see the glory of God, they will understand….everything.