Governing Your Family

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19

There are three things very remarkable in this verse.

1. That Abraham used parental authority in governing his family: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him.” He did not think it enough to pray for them, or to teach them, but he used the authority which God had given him—he commanded them.

2. That he cared for his servants as well as his children. In Genesis 14:14, we learn that Abraham had three hundred and eighteen servants born in his house. He lived after the manner of patriarchal times; as the Arabs of the wilderness do to this day. His family was very large, and yet he did not say, “They are none of mine.” He commanded his children and his household.

3. His success: “they shall keep the way of the LORD.” It is often said that the children of good men turn out ill. Well, here is a good man, and a good man doing his duty by his children—and here is the result. His son Isaac was probably a child of God from his earliest years. There is every mark of it in his life. And what a delightful specimen of a believing, prayerful servant was Eliezer! (Gen. 24.)

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I Am Resolved

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Whenever we think of revival, our minds often turn to one of the men God greatly used in the past: Jonathan Edwards. During his brief life of fifty-five years, he became known as a great thinker, theologian and pastor.

Edwards was committed to a desire and discipline unto godliness. He fleshed out some of his hunger for God by making personal commitments he termed “resolutions.” These resolutions provided a framework or pathway for him to follow so he would not stray from God and become cold and indifferent.

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SET THE CAPTIVES FREE

God’s hand displayed for Elizabeth and Hadewijk in 1549

Do you find the Martyr’ Mirror to be a bit difficult to read? Old English combined with many horrible and gruesome details of torture that makes us shudder and shrink away from? But don’t give up, there are some wonderful stories of deliverance in there too! There is also much doctrine and theology in some of those writings of years ago when the times were hard for those who believed that the Word of God held more authority then the religious leaders of the day. Some of these people were educated priests, others were simple folks, and even some were children who suffered imprisonment, torture and death at the hands of those who were considered the spiritual authorities of the day. They stood firm in their belief and would not compromise in the least no matter how awful and cruel their executioners were. But sometimes they were set free by God’s mighty power. One such account follows here that reminded me of the story of Samuel back in Old Testament times because just like Samuel heard God as a child this Godly woman was called by name by God Himself.

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