In watching the destructive collapse of Western civilization under the weight of rebellion against God and His Word, one of the saddest spectacles is the marginalization of men and their absolutely essential role as fathers in the family. Yes, throughout the centuries many mothers have had to step up in the absence of their husband/fathers and done well under the adverse circumstances. However, in what is to be this short-lived day of the woman and overt rebellion against the God designed family of a man, his wife and children endorsed even by many compromising churches, men as fathers are being purposely devalued leading to the destruction of the family as we have known it for millennia. The Lord led me to blog about this and to encourage aspiring strong men of God fathers in 2013. I post it again now as the rebellion continues unabated.
Originally Posted June 16, 2013
Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers reading this blog! By God’s design only human males can be fathers. As a critical partner with their wives in the preservation and expansion of mortal humanity (without conception and births, death would soon overtake and destroy mankind from the face of the earth), men as fathers are indispensable. But the indispensability of men as fathers goes well beyond biology to family and societal order, stability, direction and spiritual condition. In God the Father’s image, men are designed to lead their families as husbands and fathers. If they lead well, the family and families that make up a nation goes well.
However, if the men lead poorly, then the family and families that make up a nation suffers. The latter case is the present reality in our nation and many other Western nations that have independently decided fathers are only absolutely needed for the biological creation of children and are quite worthless otherwise. I offer a number of statistics in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics that show how our nation is being devastated by a redefining of what a man, woman and family is contrary to what God in His Word declares they are. Social engineers and legal authorities know about this devastation but most insist on trying to fix the problems of re-definition within the context of the rebellion that is causing it!
In their redefinition of a man, for example, men are being demanded to financially support the children they create (those that are not destroyed through State sanctioned abortion, that is), but leave the rearing to the State and mothers--isn’t that taxation without representation all over again? The result is that irresponsibility by men is being encouraged by the State which has for the sake of an anti-Christian secular worldview, inserted itself into the fathering role and responsibility. Thus, our problem in America in major part is not that married men are leading poorly as much as it is absent and irresponsible men are not leading at all thanks to the State--though as the Lord has led, I teach all men lead by their example whether they intend to or not.
Also, in the moral and spiritual climate of rebellion against God, His Son, Jesus Christ and Word, many well off feminists do not even care for the financial support of baby’s daddy since they purchase his sperm from a bank in total detachment. So deep is the anti-male authority influence of feminists on our 21st century culture (including the biblical worldview that fathers are the head of their daughters until marriage), in its many acts of creative license with the birth narrative of Christ, the 2006 film, The Nativity, written by Mark Rich and directed by Catherine Hardwicke has teenage Mary initially angrily questioning her father’s will for her to marry Joseph. This feminist attitudinal insertion is completely opposite of the New Testament Mary who finds favor with God expressly for the humility and submission she no doubt displays prior to and after hearing God’s will from the angel (Luke 1:26-38)!
Tragically, relieved of their duty from nearly all quarters many men are living large in a sinful male’s utopian world of irresponsibility that is destroying children, the fatherless, families and our nation in the process. God in His Word teaches why the role of fathers is so important. As God the Father showed with Adam in the beginning, a father gives visionary leadership to his children (Genesis 1:26-28). Where there is no such vision in a family or a nation from the father or leader respectively, they throw off restraint, chaos ensues and they perish--think high rates of child sexual exploitation, teen promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, school dropouts, gang violence and deaths, suicide etc. (Proverbs 29:18).
God as a Father to Adam not only initiated his existence, but led, taught, provided for and protected him in Eden (Genesis 2:7-25). While children with godly fathers in the home may still rebel because of sin, men are to do with their children as God did with Adam so they have a leader to look up to, instruction with discipline, certain provision and security. When Adam sinned, God the Father pitied him and did not treat his sin with the instant death it deserved, but killed an animal shedding its blood instead and used its skin to cover his fallen creature against the day in love when He would provide an eternal atonement (Genesis 3:17-19, 21, 5:1-5; Psalm 103:13-14; John 3:16). So, men are needed to be firm yet merciful and gracious authorities to their children.
To the child with a natural father (or mother) that has forsaken him, God offers Himself a Father (Psalm 27:10, 68:5). As His tangible love, Christian men are to be mentors and spiritual fathers to the fatherless who allow it. In the day of rebellion as we now have, God sends forth His prophet to call men and their children to reconciliation to avoid his curse on top of all of the destructive natural consequences already doing their work (Malachi 4:5-6). Are we listening in the churches since our assemblies are suffering all of the same devastation as the world due to straying from God’s Word and the priority of teaching men their roles and responsibilities?
To the faithful godly fathers doing it God’s way with a made up mind, stay the course. Do not yield to the fathering instructions and ways of this condemned world system taught even in compromising churches. God’s example and instruction in His Word as well as your very real daily experience with Him as your heavenly Father are perfect. If you remain faithful the Father of fathers will bless and mightily reward your faithfulness here and now and with immortal glory in the Day of Christ. Such is the joyful hope and expectation of every aspiring strong man of God father!
As I concluded in an October 2020 post, it is only fitting that females embracing worldly feminism taught by demons in these “latter times” as foretold should be part of the multi-faceted rebellion against God and His Anointed, the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-3; Acts 4:23-28; 1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV).1 Indeed, the rebellion against God in all of its forms is a manifest sign of the world now, being fully in its latter times just before His return as He has led me to assert in many posts from Bible prophecy.2 Worldly feminists in their rebellion against God and His Anointed are focused on undoing His purposeful and perfect design of the order, roles and responsibilities of mankind.
In rebelling against God’s assignment of male authority through the husband-father in His design of family order particularly, feminists seek to overthrow it and re-structure the family after their own design. In their design rooted in their rebel vision of equality, there are impossibly two family heads, no head and an equal sharing of authority or the acceptance of females just as capable to lead--a reality in many homes by deliberate male default to avoid drama or acquiescence in spiritual ignorance and/or weakness. Not only has this rebel vision of family authority impacted marriages, but it has left the children confused especially about their very important relationship with their fathers.
While in His design as the Lord has led me to write in other places, fathers teach the whole family His Word generally and their sons specifically about biblical manhood,3 they also have important teaching as well as leading, providing and protecting responsibilities to their not of age and single daughters at home. Full disclosure here for me in that much of what I am about to write I have learned after my daughters in a blended family became adults. I wish I had exercised the knowledge I did have more wisely in their youth with that which I have gained since. And of course, back then, I completely underestimated the extent to which feminism would consistently undercut my efforts.4
Worldly feminism has purposely set daughters against their fathers as in no other time in the history of mankind! In the short span of the mid-1960s until now, many females urged through feminism to resist male authority have also been rebelling against their father’s God assigned family headship over them up to the time of marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:3-6). Godly fathers exercised authority over and taught daughters to value themselves and their bodies by staying virgins until given to husbands with their permission (Genesis 24:10-51; 1 Corinthians 7:34-38). They also provided for and protected them from lust driven, sex seeking males like me as an unsaved teenager.
The value of a female virgin was such that male family members would kill a man that soiled their sister who as today, were often traumatized (Genesis 34; 2 Samuel 13:1-33). God’s laws to Israel also reflected the female virgin’s value (Exodus 22:16-17). In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, writing about the absence of women as lifelong celibates in the Bible the Lord leads me to present the sad case of Jephthah’s daughter who as a virgin, mourned not that she would die because of her father’s wrongheaded vow, but having kept herself pure, the fact she would not ever know marriage and family (Judges 11:29-40).5 Fathers and daughters valued their purity.6
However, the Women’s Liberation (from God’s order and morality) Movement born of worldly feminism and followed closely by the Sexual Revolution enabled through birth control and abortions changed everything! I am a living witness to and participant in these historical events which seemed like a boon to us males everywhere at the time, but as in so much of what feels good for the moment, the consequential aftermath has not been pleasant at all.7 Fathers that understood something of God’s ancient will for them were thrown aback. Suddenly, professed Christian females who had understood their value as virgins and intended to remain so until marriage were greatly challenged.
Still, in the midst of a world where our daughters are urged to scorn and rebel against us from every quarter, aspiring strong man of God fathers must stand firm in the fact God’s will, way and Word concerning His order, our roles and responsibilities are right! Start as young as you can teaching all your children to understand the realm of your home is different from the world outside because you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Let them know you would like to have them choose to follow Him also, but until then, your home is built on the values and life outlook you have from a biblical worldview that is non-negotiable (Joshua 24:14-15). Be consistent while also being relationally available and providing alternative activities when needed that are “fun.”
Make sure you affirm the value of your daughters as persons of worth and dignity. This does not mean pandering after them as even some Christian father-daughter gurus seem to suggest, but imitate God the perfect Father (Genesis 16; Numbers 12).8 Knowing His will for females to marry and bear children, encourage them to pursue an education and a line of work by which they can sustain themselves on their own until then. Otherwise, if they choose to stay home under your authority to further their education and/or work while waiting for God to bring His man to them, give them adult space, but with the understanding you and all house rules must be honored; a circumspect lifestyle maintained. In all this you work with God to build daughters into excellent wives (Proverbs 31:28-29).
1 See the October 11, 2020 post, The Great Woman Of God’s Character, under the category, The Cause.
2 Read the April 8, 2018 post, The Second Adam Rules And Judges, under the category, Bible Prophecy, along with the three-part post beginning April 18, 2021, Daughters Of This Age, under the category, God’s Creatures as examples.
3 See the June 13, 2021 post, The Heart Of A Son, under the category, Instruction and on July 11, 2021, A Father And Mother On Purpose, under the category, God’s Crea- tures.
4 No matter what my daughters that lived with me watched in the media or where they went--school, church, friend’s homes etc., what their father taught them at home from a biblical worldview such as I knew was challenged by the rebel views of feminism among others of this world! I know I am not alone in my experience and this is the reason, no doubt, the Lord in part has me writing this post to encourage and help a struggling Christian father; his daughter if she will give heed. For as aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ we are not to just throw up our hands in exasperation caving into the way the world works in rebellion. But this too, is part of fighting “the good fight of faith,” (1 Timothy 6:11-16, NKJV)!
5 The book is available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. The prospect of lifelong celibacy and sexual purity are are also discussed in The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study available through the same outlets.
6 I will say it again here. Sons are also to be taught to value their virginity until marriage. Sinful men have historically allowed a wicked double standard I acknowledge and condemn in Christ.
7 Casual and no fault sex has led to unprecedented promiscuity, millions of out of wed-lock births and abortions (used as birth control after the fact when either unprotected intercourse or other forms of pregnancy prevention measures failed), unmarried couples living together in large numbers, inconsequential adultery, increased date and stranger rapes, an out of control porn industry with related addiction, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and perversion, widespread and incurable sexually transmitted diseases as well as a long trail of broken and ruined lives.
8 God never compromises righteousness while also being gracious and merciful. Having then, given the warning about pandering after daughters leading inevitably to a father compromising God’s standards of righteousness for the sake of being loving and accepting, I defer to the counsel of more qualified men such as Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Kevin Leman and Dr. Willie Richardson among other faithful Christians as experts to help. Under no circumstances do I encourage following the advice of anyone about raising daughters that is accommodating to the rebel values of feminism as though it will perpetually stand as the defining global norm. Truly, even “Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” near at hand, the Lord is sending the prophet Elijah to restore fathers and children in Israel as well as the willing beyond (Mala- chi 4, NKJV)!
In his aloneness, mortal Adam fully equipped by God for procreation yearned for the corresponding companion that would be found to help him fulfill the divine ordained mission (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:7-20). When he saw the wife God created from him, for him every part of his inner being as well as hormone in his body was set ablaze with joy and marriage was instituted by the Lord (Genesis 2:21-25)! As richly satisfying as relationship in marriage was to be, God’s priority is the mission He gave Adam and his wife reflected in her name (Genesis 3:20) and that continues to this day in spite of a raging rebellion against it that has only intensified since I posted the following blog last year. Sadly, we should only expect this rebellion to continue intensifying.
I will soon wrap up the series of posts the Lord Jesus Christ has led me to make since November 27, 2022 examining His foreknowledge then, literal experience of persecution to the death in God’s will as an instructional example to us Christians. Before this though, I want to revisit an event and a person in those posts that impact critical issues in our times. Today, on this Sanctity Of Life Sunday dedicated to urging every citizen in our nation to treat human life beginning at conception as from God and sacred (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:24; Luke 1:30-35), I bring the Lord’s Word and a warning to those who continue to wickedly clamor for the right to murder the unborn.
The event that inspires this post is Herod’s massacre of the male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and its surrounding districts in his attempt to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ as a young Child he feared as a rival to his throne.1 Make no mistake about it; the dark and evil heart that could murder babies and toddlers out of the motives of fear and narcissism is the same one in those that would take out the unborn in their mother’s wombs. I know this from the forgiven guilt and shame of having been a teen father that gave consent as well as relieved endorsement to the abortion of my children before and during the days of Roe v. Wade as I wrote in previous posts and my book.2
The apostle Matthew is led by the Holy Spirit in his Gospel to comment on Herod’s massacre of the children that it “fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah; lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more,’” (Matthew 2:17-18, NKJV). At first glance, it seems that the Lord simply foretells this event over 600 years in advance rightly acknowledging the grief of the Bethlehem mothers figuratively represented by a woman named Rachel, but quite unfeelingly offering no explanation of why or comfort. However, deeper Bible study bears great fruit showing otherwise!3
Led by the Holy Spirit, a deeper Bible study involves examining the background of Rachel and God’s prophecy as it originally appears in context. Indeed, Rachel is the second of two wives of Jewish patriarch, Jacob, that were sisters when he was sent to get one by his father, Isaac, from his mother’s people (Genesis 28:1-5). He meets and falls in love with Rachel and works seven years per agreement with her father, Laban, to marry her. But Laban deceitfully sent in his older daughter, Leah, when it was time to consummate the marriage and gave Rachel to Jacob only if he served him another seven years--he did (Genesis 29:1-30). The women competed to bear him children.
Leah and her maid gave Jacob eight sons and one daughter, while the maid of barren Rachel bore him two sons. By God’s grace Rachel was finally able to conceive and bore Joseph to Jacob (Genesis 29:31-30:24). She also bore him the last of his twelve sons, Benjamin; dying in the process with great sorrow and was buried as the family made their way from Bethel to “Ephrath” “(that is, Bethlehem),” (Genesis 35:16-20, NKJV). Though she had borne him fewer children than Leah, Rachel is considered the mother of all Israel because Jacob loved her. Her burial location would prove significant in what are actually two future events involving Rachel’s children.
In Jeremiah’s day hundreds of years later, Babylon’s invasions of Judah as God’s judgment yielded captives that were marched in chains on the well traveled road northward from Bethlehem and other cities to various staging locations that included Ramah (Jeremiah 40:1-6). The Lord used Rachel as the mother of Israel to figuratively represent all the affected mothers weeping at their children being taken away. But this Word was given in the larger context of Jeremiah 30-33 as God spoke of a future day when He brings a remnant back to the land complete with Messiah their King and “a new covenant,” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NKJV). So, He tells Rachel to ‘“Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears for your work will be rewarded…,’” (Jeremiah 31:16-17, NKJV).
There was hope for the future because God would bring Rachel’s children that were taken back as a remnant to Israel’s border (Isaiah 49:8-26)! But they are not all of them. As this prophecy is true in the natural, so too, in the spiritual and applies to the male children Herod killed instead of Christ. They live as does every unborn child ever aborted (Ecclesiastes 12:7)! The innocents killed by Herod died in Christ’s place so He could live and die for them and all mankind on the cross!4 As a result, the innocents will be raised at Christ’s command among all who have ever lived and with the saints, enjoy immortal glory (Psalm 90:3-4; Isaiah 26:19; Luke 20:37-38; John 5:24-30, 11:23-27). Woe to all the unrepentant murderers of the unborn (Genesis 9:5-6; Revelation 20:11-15)!5
1 Read the December 18, 2022 post, Christ Persecuted As A Child, under the category, Instruction.
2 Concerning previous posts see for example, the one on January 21, 2018, Protecting Our Children, under the category, Biblical Worldview. You can pick up a Soft or Hard Cover copy of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore and the Strong Man Store.
3 If you want to learn how to get the most out of your Bible study, I invite you to take the layman’s Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course the Lord led me to develop to help. Get an overview of the course in the introductory first session at https://youtu.be/uufAkc3aYSc on our Strong Man Virtual Institute YouTube Channel.
4 The unborn and young children are not without the nature and taint of sin from Adam (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). So, it must be atoned for as Christ accomplished on Cal- vary. They are however, innocent of willful sin because of not having yet reached the age of accountability before God which is generally when they have the ability to un- derstand biblical right from wrong (Proverbs 20:11; James 4:17).
5 While I and to be sure, every other born again, biblically conservative Christian advocate for the unborn in America continue to rejoice in the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, the spirit of murder behind legalized abortion remains intact and influential throughout the land (John 8:44). This is evident in the protest marches and persecution of Christians to include attacks on associated properties such as churches, businesses and pregnancy resource centers that have erupted. It is also seen in the efforts State by State to retain legal sanction for murdering the unborn and once again grant it nationally, this time through congressional legislation. Let all deceived and led by the spirit of murder to kill the unborn recognize if you will that the Lord is being gracious to allow you the opportunity to give heed to His warning and repent now, since no such opportunity will be offered on judgment day (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)!
Happy Father’s Day to all of the sons of this age that submit to God’s design of you as a male who alone of mankind has seed from your body to initiate the existence of new male or female human beings! While as His creature, a Christian and aspiring strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ you may have other interests, you understand God did not create you to fulfill any ambitions first, but to do His will in the prime roles He designed you for as a husband to your female wife and father to the children you create together. Indeed, no male, no children; no female, no children; male and female in the bond of holy marriage, children (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7, 18-25, 3:20, 4:1-2, 5:1-4)!
I continue to stand in awe of God Almighty and wise who could have raised up man in number as the grains of sand on earth or stars of the universe at once from the dust. Instead, He purposely chose to create one man, from him take out a woman and through their marital relationship and pleasure of sexual intimacy He designed them to share, achieve the same numerical ends briefly over time. Though fathers in their procreation role have it the easiest, their responsibilities are by no means easy. We are held accountable by God the Father in His image and likeness to lead, teach provide for and protect our wives and children--responsibilities He helps us with if we seek Him in our first role as His sons!
Disobedience to God and His punishment negatively impacted, made difficult and very challenging all of our responsibilities before Him and to our families requiring His help to be done even close to well (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6-12, 17-19). Historically, men have done best at providing and protecting while coming up very short in spiritual leadership and teaching since we not only do these with words, but deeds. Sin in us has been our constant foil. Yet, God be praised and to Him be all the glory for the marvel of fathers as He designed and His willingness to help His fallen elect leaders. How sad in these latter days evil has convinced many fathers they have nothing but biological value.
Nevertheless, in a biblical worldview, males as fathers who have already fulfilled God’s will to responsibly beget children in marriage, spiritually led, taught, provided for and protected their families or will, superbly glorify Him in the earth and bless all mankind as did Christ Jesus (John 17:4). Thank you!
One of the saddest evil developments among many of Christianity since the first century is the form of it as a religion invented by men. I have had to contend with this powerless, manmade evil from my infancy in Christ and in accord with my calling, gifting and ministry from the Lord in over forty years of service; writing much about Babylon in this blog.1 Not only is corruption of and willful disobedience to God’s Word with confusion characteristic of it, but false piety ostensibly informed by Christian love and enforced submission to men as leaders acting in the flesh of whom Scripture is quite clear are not pleasing God (Romans 8:8). (Does God in Scripture really require unquestioned loyalty and obedience to disobedient leaders--2 Corinthians 1:23-24, 11:1-21; Galatians 1-2:16?)2
Leave it to children to show the way of God as even the Son of God affirmed they do in their natural behavior. In this edited 2011 post, I reference the Lord’s instruction of His pride and selfish ambition filled disciples using the naturally humble hearts of children as the example of impossible conversion apart from God’s supernatural work their own hearts would need to enter the Kingdom. Such genuine humility of heart is characteristic of a man converted through the new birth of biblical Christianity. Too, like a child’s heart displayed by the children around Dale Ostrander who prayed for him as he drowned, a converted heart is willing to believe God--not as the religious who eloquently pray out loud, but act in their own power to accomplish their will (Matthew 23:14).
This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the children who remind us of what biblical Christianity is and the God of my salvation who makes it possible for me to walk it out in the authentic power of His Spirit; the life of an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ! Have a great Thanksgiving.
Originally Posted August 14, 2011
Speaking to men in Matthew 18:1-4, the Lord Jesus answered the question of His disciples, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” (NKJV)? He referred them to a child and indicated unless these tough guys were to be converted and become like “little children” in humility and faith, they could not “enter” or be considered “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” That’s a hard one for proud men to swallow. But this past week the news was filled with a miracle story that verifies the humble and trusting heart of a child is great before and honored by God.
Dale Ostrander was on a beach outing with his youth group in Long Beach, WA. He got sucked under by a rip tide and pulled out over a hundred yards from shore. Another youth, Nicole Kissel, tried to help him back, but when she turned, Dale was gone. Rescuers searched for over 20 minutes for what surely would be and was the drowned, lifeless body of Dale. But while the rescuers were on their way and during their search for Dale, on their faces in the sand weeping and calling on the name of the Lord were members of Dale’s youth group. These children not only believed that God could save their fellow youth, but passionately asked Him to do so with the humble, trusting hearts of children. And what was the result?
Even the most cynical of newscasters throughout the TV News media called Dale’s return to life “a miracle.” But not only did Dale come back to life, he is expected to recover.3 God is receiving glory all over the planet because some kids had the audacity, humility and faith to believe God can do anything! In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics,4 I tell men in order to receive its contents they must have the heart of a child as Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:1-4. The Dale Ostrander August 2011 return to life on the prayers of children is overwhelming evidence of the blessings and benefits of why. To God be the glory and thank you children for reminding proud, self-reliant adults and men--religious or otherwise--in particular, of the heart that pleases God!
1 See for example, my August 23, 2015 post, Babylon Is Falling, under the category, Bible Prophecy and August 21-28, 2016 two-part, Christianity The Religion Of Men,
under the category, Instruction.
2 Protestants certainly cannot believe this without hypocrisy since our whole existence is a repudiation of corrupt 16th century Catholicism and its leaders famously galva- nized by heralded reformer, Martin Luther--a Catholic priest!
3 Dale Ostrander lives today and continues a progressive recovery from certain death.
4 The book is available in print or digital download formats at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).
You can also get the Hard or Soft Cover print versions of the book in the Strong Man Store.
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