Physical Phamily
Every single Recorded time Jesus Himself Commanded or Taught regarding biological family...

9/19/2003
Friday Night, September 19, 2003 and earlier : )
Below is every single verse in the Bible where Jesus Himself tells us how HE views, and expects us to view, biological family. No verses are left out, as far as anyone can tell, where He Teaches about, or speaks directly to, biological family. It is all here. It is what He desired Recorded of His very own Words while He was here on this planet physically, on the matter of biological family relationships. These are His exact Thoughts and Words.
This, below—every Word He personally spoke on the matter, is for us to embrace, if we are truly His. Of course there are PLENTY of “fine sounding” sentimental alternatives to Jesus’ Teaching on the subject. The pens of pagans, unSaved psychologists, and compromising religionists are replete with sonnets of self-serving thoughts which un-do the Plan of God for “a HUNDRED mothers, brothers, sisters” that “the gates of Hell cannot prevail against.” Now “who” do you think would “inspire” such a thing? (Eph.3:10) Know that a Follower of Jesus, with HIS Spirit within, will follow JESUS’ Teaching and Example, regardless of personal cost or abuse or popular pagan “opinions”—made to sound “spiritual” to the undiscerning or the addicted or the fearful.
Are there wonderful “Shadows” in first birth “families” and the like? Of course! Anyone with children or grandchildren and a shred of decency in them knows the pleasure and joy and jubilation of watching a child take their first steps, and hear them mispronounce their earliest words! Fun stuff! No wonder the temptation to whip out the photographs! AND YET... biological family is meant only to POINT at the Reality and train His People in warfare and character and wisdom and responsibility—not ever to substitute for Reality. SPIRITUAL relationships are, according to God, to be “our joy and our crown!” A “full quiver” of physical offspring is “a blessing” and not to be diminished. But, as you’ll see below, physical family is NOT the “end all” that man’s sentiment and culture’s brainwashing and satan’s lies have made it. It is a “full-quiver” SPIRITUALLY that Father always Intended those whom He has Chosen to be able to See. The “shadow” of physical marriage and bio-logical family are NEVER to be accepted by man’s teaching as a REPLACEMENT for God’s Intention: “a hundred mothers, brothers, sisters”—the Spiritual “Zoe-ology” of Jesus Christ, the Seed of Second-Birth. “God’s Intent is NOW, through the Church, to make known His many-faceted Wisdom, even to the principalities and powers!” (Eph.3:10)
Jesus CLEARLY saw and taught that the Second Birth is our primary identifier, not our last name or skin color, or our language or education or common age or financial portfolio! The first birth, or any external whatsoever, does not control our decisions or affections. Those things provide opportunity to serve Him, but may NEVER have our affections or sway our words or decisions.
It is interesting to note that many, many thousands of Saints worldwide have contacted us over the last 18 years. They say they PLEAD with God that they would experience TRUE Church, rather than the thing not authored by God: the “attend-me” living room, or “attendance-based” Building-Appropriated for-Religious-Functions. The “aloneness” so many face is not all based on their circumstances in so many cases. Often, the “aloneness” is the fruit of SIN. The refusal to build as GOD says to build, ignoring and rationalizing away God’s Word on subjects such as “leaven in the batch” and biological family perspective, has created the tragic and dangerous plight that most people face.
The “debate” is over about “what is family?” and “how should I think about biological ties and common last name and facial features?” There can be no other “options” for those who claim to follow Jesus than what JESUS Himself said. “Seek first His KINGDOM” is a Command with great and precious Promises, for those “few” who will obey Him!
Below you will find EXACTLY how Jesus feels about biological family, and every word anyone could find that He spoke while here on the topic. Do you have the courage to BELIEVE that, without the popularized, convenient, and addictive vices and teachings of men added? How He calls a truly Saved person to respond to biological family is both modeled by the Savior and Taught from His lips. EVERY SINGLE WORD He wanted us to have from His mouth regarding the topic is found below. Is it enough for you, or do you require more to make your life a more pleasant place?
To demonstrate that He lived what He Commands us to live, every single interaction in the Scriptures that He had with His OWN biological family is also below.
One would have to make up their own “Christianity” to embrace a Way different than what Jesus Commands and lived, wouldn’t they? And such a sentimental concoction could hardly then be rightfully called Christianity, could it?
Enjoy Jesus’ clarity, His passion, and the Way He lived in a Realm outside of personal fears or selfish pleasures, purely for the Father’s Glory and Kingdom and Purposes. Even recorded in His own Words at age TWELVE. This is our Jesus—and this is for all who have HIM, the Great I AM, living inside of them!
(Eph.1:13-14; Rom.8:9-11; Col.1:26)
Every single Recorded time Jesus Himself Commanded or Taught regarding biological family, or He Himself spoke to His own biological family:
21Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:21-22 |
Would you, will you, willingly obey Jesus and do what He said here? If such a thing as “letting the dead (unSaved—including “religious” but not sold-out for Jesus) bury their own dead” is not even an option because your mom and brothers and sisters would be angry, you have “another God before Him.” Of COURSE this (not going to bury a biological relative, even a father) doesn’t apply to every single biological family funeral. But, do you drop to your knees, knowing it could apply to you, in the event of a death of unSaved, unRegenerate (religious or not) biological family member? If skipping the “funeral” is not an option for you, you are an idolater, of course. Jesus was pretty clear that it is required of a man to have such a heart, if he wants to be a Christian. It’s simple, really. Let go, and be Jesus’ Disciple so you can HEAR and let HIM decide, when the time comes. It’s HIS decision case by case—not a decision to be made by emotion, or the decision of pagan peer pressure. Read what JESUS said again. It’s not poetry. It is GOD speaking to you, and to me, about what He wants of our hearts if we are to be part of HIS Family. “The disciples were called christians first at Antioch.” Every Christian must be a disciple. There is no “third Covenant” or “other plan”! |
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.” 62Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62 |
How are YOU with “not even saying good-bye” to your siblings and parents? How would you do with leaving your dear dad with fish in the net, and walking away from family and job with no notice, as James and John did? It is the SAME Jesus we follow, alive and real and discernable—not some historical figment to be pondered and sung at in the sky, on some holy day. There is no other true Christianity than this willingness to walk away from everyone, at His call. Ask the “rich young ruler” how far you get with Jesus when you try to “add” Him to what you’re already doing. If you haven’t truly abandoned yourself to Him before, NOW, come follow Him. Let HIM decide whether you say “good-bye” or “sell all of your possessions and give to the poor,” or something else of His choosing. Do that. Every day, the rest of your earthly existence. THAT is Christianity, and “attending” something in a façade or living room has nothing to do with making you a True Christian. “To find your life, you MUST lose it.” |
21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:21-22 |
If you are TRULY Saved, with HIS Spirit inside of you, “Woe to you, if all men speak well of you.” If there is nothing “at stake” between you and the unSaved, all is rosy and cuddly, you must question your own Salvation. It is not possible, Biblically, to “have your cake and eat it too.” “Choose you this day whom YOU will serve.” |
34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law 36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39 |
Oh, man! Why did He have to go and say this?! Hasn’t He heard the slogan “Focus on the family”? And how about “God first, family second, job third, climate fourth, church fifth” (or something like that)? Hasn’t Jesus heard that? So why then did He say what HE said here in Matthew, completely Other than these humanistic slogans? Because He is Right. It’s HIS Kingdom, and HE knows. Do you willingly surrender this into His arms, for His care and personal direction? It is a fearful and rare choice. Almost no one you have ever known, regardless of the magic religious words they have crafted and memorized to dazzle others with (from a pulpit or in a clever book), have chosen Jesus as JESUS said He must be chosen. But you can submit your heart to Jesus’ Words here, just as He said them without excuse-making and rationalization, if you will trust Him that His Ways are Right and Good, and that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” HIS Way! (Heb.11:6) |
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:46-50 |
If this was the ONLY time Jesus spoke to, or spoke about physical family, you would now know just about everything you need to know to please Him, and to “walk as He walked” to be “in Him.” (1Jn.1) Could YOU honestly say what Jesus said? If not, if that is not your perspective of life and Life, you are way out of the Spirit, no matter how sentimental you may feel about unconverted family members that GOD calls “children of the devil” (if they are not truly Saved by abandoning their lives into Him). See it as HE sees it, or you cannot have Him. “How can two walk together...?” |
20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:20-21 |
You see, there is no commitment by physical family to even Jesus Himself... if He (or you) don’t do what you’re expected to do. Jesus prophesied to us, and experienced Himself, how easily the carnal man (biological relative or not) will turn on you if you do not play the game their way. As Jesus said, He could “entrust Himself to no man” for it is plain to see “what is in the heart of man.” “What’s born of flesh, is flesh.” “See no man after the flesh.” “The child born in the ordinary way ALWAYS rises up to persecute the child born of the Spirit. It is the same now.” |
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:31-35 |
Is this how YOU define YOUR “family”? Now don’t hyper-spiritualize it into meaning, “Yea, yea. we need to be committed to our ‘church family’ AFTER we are totally committed to our physical family, Saved or not.” THAT is dishonest. JESUS didn’t say “after.” He said “Seek FIRST the KingDOM.” He, Himself, demonstrates in this verse EXACTLY where our commitment must lie, if we are to wear HIS Name, rather than to “play church” in some way He will NOT honor. It is SO tempting in our flesh to define family by our comfort zones, what we can control, and what we take pride in. Physical phamily idolatry, giving affection or preferential treatment to mere first-birth ties and prejudices, is one of the most powerfully addictive drugs in the universe. In returning from Romania, Poland, and Europe, we have always found it “refreshing” to enter into England or other English-speaking nations. After a stay in the villages of India, it was tempting to be sinfully “refreshed” by encountering others of a common skin color or language in a restaurant in Bombay. It is always a sinful temptation of the flesh to gravitate towards common culture, or common age (teens “hanging out” or young marrieds “hanging out” or __). It is sinful (unChristlike) to give in to this “comfort zone”, or to gravitate towards, show preference to, or give affection or comfort to common language or skin color... or biological relatives, regardless of their Spiritual state. It is evil to see men or women “after the flesh” rather than defining all humans by whether they are “children of the devil” or have had a “Second Birth”—indwelt by Christ Himself, based on a life abandoned to Him. THIS is the ONLY way a converted follower of Jesus can allow themselves to think: 33“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35 |
19Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:19-21 |
Who is YOUR family? Really? IN YOUR HEART: Who IS your family? Yes, we are “worse than infidels” if we don’t care for biological family. YES, we are disqualified from being overseers in God’s House, His Church, His family... if we don’t lead our own homes well. YES, our homes are where we MODEL God’s love and Truths to one another in “close proximity”. And yet, all of that said, VERY FEW actually LIVE like Jesus said is the ONLY way He endorses, in these verses. There are no “CHRISTIAN” options to ignore Jesus’ Teachings. He is either the Head, and HE does the “thinking”—or you are involved in false religion. |
55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matthew 13:55-58 |
“He left you an example that you should follow in His steps”—said His friend, Peter. “No man is greater than His Teacher. If they hated Me, they WILL hate you as well.” “Curses on you, if all men speak well of you.” |
3“Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.Mark 6:3-6 |
You see, if folks grow up with you, they think they have every right to judge you incompetent and ridicule you in their familiarity. IF you have unBelieving relatives who will not live for, nor die for Jesus (it’s only cultural religion, or superstitious candle-burning, or business contacts, or buddies)... and they have no grievance with you, because nothing is at stake... you cannot be walking with Jesus. |
42They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”John 6:42 |
Same point. To those who have your affections and esteem to lose, “Everyone has the right to their own opinions” and “Truth is relative” (pun intended). |
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” Matthew 15:1-9 |
While obviously Jesus was addressing religious hypocrisy, to those who were loveless religionists, there is a point made here that mustn’t be missed. Certainly God does recognize the need to respect biological parents, and heads of households (as well as earthly pagan leaders, bosses at work, at all sorts of authorities—as long as they don’t ask you to violate your conscience or disobey the Higher Authority, Jesus). At the same time, for someone to say “honor your father and mother” means you should allow any human to “steal your crown”... “Judge for yourselves whether it’s better to obey God or man.” We cannot, even if it costs us our very physical life, allow ANY human to bully us or sway us or emotionally blackmail us into compromise or into their lukewarmness. “Honoring” them means, as it would with a judge of a human court (titled “Your Honor”) that we are not disrespectful or insulting or cruel or less than sacrificial. Yet, “honoring” does not mean that we have to allow the “judge” that we “honor” to take our children away for the weekend on a fishing trip, to impart his morals and evils upon them. “Honoring” does NOT mean “fellowship” or even “trust” —regardless of their Spiritual state. |
10“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” Mark 7:10-13 |
When your parents “put their hope in God, and continually pray night and day” —rather than “live for pleasure and are dead even while they live” (1Tim.5), it certainly makes the ability to have true relationship with them MUCH easier. Regardless, respecting and “honoring” with flowers and continual pleas for them to turn to Jesus rather than empty religion or the world is very appropriate. Not “fellowship” (“merging life with them”), which is reserved for Jesus and His Body ALONE, but “honoring” them by kind acts and relentless pleading—rather than giving up. Hard-core loveless religion will either compromise everything important to Jesus in order to please men and have an emotional drug fix of physical family, OR it will make no effort to “seek and save that which is lost.” Both are equally wrong. |
31“You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a letter of divorce.’ 32But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32 |
Odd that so many who PROFESS Jesus have no conscience about blatantly disobeying Him? Fifty percent divorce rate in the so-called churches, amongst those who claim to cherish “family”? They can’t even protect what they claim to focus on! You see, when we FOCUS on things that are not JESUS, our flesh screams when we do not get what “we want”. Then there is no “glue” to hold a “relationship” together, when it is built of self-serving motives, rather than “seek first the Kingdom.” Those who claim to be “leaders” of God’s Flock are often so devoid of Truth themselves that they allow relationships to tumble into the Abyss without lifting a finger, and then further do nothing to prevent the rebellion of divorce. These are the very ones “focused on the FAMILY”—and they resent the Teachings of Jesus about who Family REALLY is, while they watch 50% (this IS the average number of divorces within religious establishments) of their physical families trashed right before their eyes? There ARE Answers, but most are afraid to look in the Right place—the Teachings of Jesus. No QUESTION! Try Him. He’s not a “family hater”—He’s RIGHT! : ) |
2Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3“What did Moses command you?” he replied. 4They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Mark 10:2-9 |
“FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO.” “What God has joined together, let man not separate” is a PART of God’s Intention of total abandonment to Him: “seeking FIRST His Kingdom”... and “all these things shall be added to you as well.” If we invest in HIS Together-Life, and put ourselves DEEP into His un-Created Life in the SecondBirth Family, HE HIMSELF will guard our hearts and minds and marriages and children in Christ Jesus. HE will direct our steps to who HE wants us to be with, based on Truth and regeneracy rather than fleshly appearance and personality. But, the drug-fix of emotion associated with undiscerning granting of affection and relationship to unSaved and lukewarm biological family members DESTROYS families, as proven by the religious world’s track record. Ahhh—when it’s done RIGHT (“Man is God’s glory, made in God’s own image, and the woman is the glory of man. For the first man did not come from woman, but the first woman came from man. Man was not made for the woman’s benefit, but the woman was made for man.”), in the context of His daily Church Acts 2:42-47, Eph.5, 1Cor.12, Heb.3 Together-Life, “marriage” and “family” are Awesome things to behold! However, the man-centered hierarchy, separation, segregation, “my castle” “my property” “my affections” unBiblical relationship definitions are “far from Him” and never His Intention. The “us four and no more” biological family bigotry and separation and ownership yields only a playground for satan, as the Church can then only be an “attend-me” ceremony or leaven-filled meeting—a joke to satan. It has ALWAYS been God’s Heart to view “family” based on Spiritual Life, and nothing less: God proclaims His Blessing on all with this heart, Old Testament and New Testament: “He said of his father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over Your word and guarded Your covenant.” Deut.33:8 Sounds just like Jesus, does it not? Interesting. But since He IS the Word, it makes perfect sense. He was not rude and unloving then by saying these things, and is not rude and unloving now, either. It is just plain the heart God blesses! |
27Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 28Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Matthew 19:27-30 |
Ahhhh. WHAT A PROMISE! This is what it’s all about!! Read it again. TRUE RELATIONSHIPS (of the most intimate kind) are granted by God, to those who have LOST THEIR LIVES for Jesus. There is NO other kind of “Church” Biblically speaking, than the DAILY life of those “from the least to the greatest” totally intertwined in “I have need of you!” (1Cor.12) quality of Life. That ALONE is “Church” and “the Body of Christ” as God intends and Jesus established. |
28Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”Mark 10:28-30 |
Jesus is even more specific here. This is NOT poetry—but REALITY for those who have ever dared to live this way. And there aren’t many. “In this present age”... REAL FAMILY, based on the SECOND Birth. Children of Abraham “according to the PROMISE” rather than DNA: That is FAMILY! And God’s full Intention from the Beginning. Not “attend me” and then go back to our own carnal biological lives. :( The “context” and “Root” of Genuine Pentecostal Christianity (Acts 2) is ALWAYS (Joel 2) “Let the bride and the bridegroom come OUT of their chambers!” Do we REALLY want to see True Christianity, empowered by the Holy Spirit? I hope so. I know many do, worldwide. And because “time is short” we TOTALLY reevaluate what we “seek first”. “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.” 1Cor.7:29-31 Jesus sounds so “rude” to the unregenerate mind that does not truly Know Him, doesn’t He? His Ways “sound” so “unchristian” to the cultural ear. We would not tolerate such talk of “leaving” biological family members today, in most religious circles. (Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel...”) Now, and in the end-times, drunken addiction to nationality, biological family ties, color and race and language, will create war after war. Jesus prophesied the battles would come down to race and color hating other races and colors, and separating on that ridiculous basis. Ethnos versus ethnos. Divisions over family names, languages, nationalities, and the like. This is commonplace to fallen man—finding identity in externals, and segregating or preferring, in shallowness of heart. And yet, to those who cherish Him and hang on His every word, and trust HIS Ways, we See the majestic wisdom and marvel at how “we must lose our lives to truly save them.” |
28Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30 |
What? Leave WHAT for HIM and His KINGDOM? Can you read that list to me again, one by one? WOW. No WAY will you hear a modern “preacher” with dishonest man-pleasing, ego-building, numbers-increasing (“nickels and noses”) agendas EVER read and apply such a Word from Jesus. In a congregation built upon programs and leaven, such a man would be terminating his salary and ruining his radio program ratings. But, the fact is, this is a PROMISE—a really GOOD thing—for those who are already “bought for a price” and “not their own” any longer. “For you who revere My name, the sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” : ) |
8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” Matthew 23:8-10 |
Just a small “aside”: One revealing “test” for your religious establishment, those to whom you have entrusted your life and your physical family for true Food, the Word of God? IF the “CEO” and others at your “church” don’t mind being called “Reverend Bill” or “Father Jose” or “Elder Marcus” or “Pastor Bob” or “Brother Jim”... then they are disobeying Jesus, and they can’t be trusted very far with other matters, either. |
12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Mark 13:12-13 |
How many people do YOU know who are “HATED because of Jesus”? Are you “hated because of Jesus”? Can you REALLY say that you know Him or are allowing Him to live in you and through you, if these simple words are not true of you? Your children or parents and co-workers don’t want to kill you, because of your uncompromising stand for Jesus (with love and patience, of course)? If you are not hated and lied about and betrayed by family members and “all men”—then you must be compromising Him for reasons of your own? Comfort? Fear? Family idolatry? Greed? Laziness? Something! So cut it out already! “Today is the day of Salvation!” : ) |
16“You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me.” Luke 21:16-17 |
Whoops. This is still True of all who are walking with Him, rather than false religion or compromise. And, it will not be true in the false cultural “christian” world. Though rudeness or “Corban” or foolish radicalism must not be our way, Jesus Himself often speaks of this “division” amongst “biological family” as a mark that you may be on the Right course! It’s scary. The Real thing always is. “Unless the seed falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone. But IF it dies, it bears much fruit!” Call on His Name! |
33The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:33-35 |
Even Mary, the precious teenager chosen by the Father to birth and raise His Only Son... even MARY would have to deal with the “skandalon”—the stumbling stone of offense in Jesus. She was not exempt from having to pay the price of repenting of self-life and falling on the Rock, just because she was His mother. All must fall, that they may rise again, and nothing or no one is permitted by God to “pad the cross” and rob any person of the “sword that will pierce their own soul, too.” Giving away affection to those who have not bowed their knee to their Maker in abandon is to oppose God and cheapen the Blood of Jesus. It is treason. All must face the cross, without the morphine of human affection that will take their eyes off of Him. |
11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13 |
Beyond question, if there is human decency and love in our bones at all, we instinctively love and care for our offspring. There’s nothing wrong with that! AS LONG AS we recognize that the SECOND BIRTH dominates and defines TRULY who our highest and most essential offspring and Family are. There is nothing wrong with physical food, and it’s important. But “man cannot live by bread alone.” The HIGHEST form of “bread” is “every Word the continually proceeds from the Father’s mouth.” Without THAT, we are “dead even while we live”. The same is true of “physical family.” It is NOT to be run after, as if “our god is our belly.” Nor can we view Spiritual Family as inferior, or “extra” or someone secondary. It is FIRST, “and all these things shall be added to you as well.” Remember, those who give away affections based on biology and physical preference are the ones with the 50% divorce rate and immoral, deceitful teens. :( |
52“From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:52-53 |
Ahhh... THIS could never happen in a Loadicean “focus on the family” church world, could it? Pop-“christian”-psychology today says, “The man is the head and the physical family is the most important thing! Judge for yourselves—obey man, rather than God” they say. Pagan or carnal parents or husbands or wives should dominate and control, because “family is god” to them, and nothing should “interfere” with that. And, they find God’s Judgment with 75% teen apostasy and 50% divorce rate—THINKING they are “protecting the family” by “focusing” on it and its “patriarchal” unBiblical ego-centric structures. Quite the contrary is true. God finds no pleasure in either “being worse than an infidel” by misrepresenting His care for those entrusted to a man—nor does He find pleasure in placing the first birth as equal or superior in energy and affection and responsibility for the Second Born Ones. |
27“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:27-31 |
Human affection and genetic ties are insufficient to win a soul who is determined to gratify the flesh, rather than abandon self to God. The Word of God and Second Birth Daily Life are truly, by the Words of Jesus, elevated above biological connections—in EVERY SINGLE QUOTATION from the Messiah Himself. |
Speaking about Spiritual Family
23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24
4“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:4-5
15“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”Matthew 18:21-22
35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:35
8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” Matthew 23:8-10
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”Matthew 12:46-50
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:31-35
19Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:19-21
11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13
3“So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”Luke 17:3
32“But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32
31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did. 40As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41You are doing the things your own father does.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”John 8:31-47
Speaking to Physical Phamily
48So when they saw him, they were amazed; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously.” 49And he said to them, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:48-49 NKJV |
Is Jesus rude? Does He not love His physical parents? How could He answer so callously after disappearing without permission or communication for three days? At age TWELVE! To be “Christlike” is VERY unlike what cultural christianity would teach you to be, or allow you to be. They cannot even explain such things as these dozens of exact quotes and examples from the One they would still call “Head” and “Master” and “Lord, Lord.” Jesus is not “rude”—nor is one who views life exactly like Jesus does and did, because Jesus lives inside of them now! Hallelujah! And such a person will likely get murdered verbally or physically in less than four years of living and acting and speaking as Jesus did. “No man is greater than His Teacher. If they hated Me, they will hate you also.” Unless, of course, one changes Jesus to accommodate their culture and preferences. Then one can do good deeds, attend things, sing songs... and still curry the favor of the world and “children of the devil” as the Apostle called the unSaved. |
25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27 |
To most who don’t know Jesus and would not accept or do these many things He has said and done regarding physical family, this is REALLY weird. After all, Jesus had physical brothers (James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and sisters) that He TOTALLY usurped, taking away their physical mother! Jesus gave his mother Mary to a NON-relative, while his biological siblings and her very children were still alive and in their twenties and thirties! Jesus did the unthinkable, and Mary agreed and went! JESUS ONLY SAW SPIRITUAL FAMILY, just as He said again and again and again. |
3And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:3-4 NAS |
Wow! How can He DO that?! Wasn’t Jesus being “unChristlike” in His response? And yet, that IS “Christlike” when it is about the Father’s Business! |
3Jesus’ (unBelieving) brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him. 6Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” 9Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. John 7:3-9 |
Wow. So true. That’s kinda what all of the rest of this is about, isn’t it? When we love the world and the things of the world, ANYTHING is okay. But, for those who are of the Tribe of Jesus, the SECOND Adam, everything is different—and makes very little sense (1Cor.2) to those without the Spirit. |
Okay. Let’s summarize a bit. Are there WONDERFUL “shadows” in the physical family and in the world around us (Col.2, Heb.5-10, Eph.5), that CAN point towards “the Reality that is in Christ”? Of course!
But, if you ask the average Christian who has been brainwashed by cultural religion what Jesus had to say about biological family, they would say, “Well, He taught maybe 80% about how important biological family love and affection and loyalty are, and maybe 20% He said some weird hyper-spiritual things (that He didn’t really mean the way they sound) about ’hating family’ and stuff.”
But, now that you have seen EVERYTHING Jesus said on the topic, isn’t it shocking that 100% of everything He said and did was RADICALLY against “focus on the family”?! Find me ANYTHING sentimental and culturally acceptable that He said or did related to biological family. It’s not there.
Modern cultural christianity has really sold God’s People a counterfeit, to their detriment and Father’s broken heart. And frankly, it’s what most people’s “itching ears want to hear” so it works out fine. But, it’s not Christianity unless it’s what JESUS taught and what Jesus did. Man’s natural sentiment (common to many species in the animal kingdom) is to a lower life-form of biology, while Jesus taught and did the exact opposite. Culture’s brainwashing and satan’s lies have made biological ties into something JESUS never practiced or authorized. Spiritual Life and the RE-birth “from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son” are what it’s REALLY all about—though most have never heard these teachings of Jesus, as consistent as they are.
Ponder this one. Create a hardback book of “All the Sayings of Jesus about the Family” as above, even without comment. Then put it up for sale at a christian bookstore. Put it alongside “All the Women of the Bible” and “The Culture of the Days of Jesus”. What would happen? Would you sell millions of copies, like the pop-psychology and other “happy books” do? You know the answer. A book on “All the Sayings of Jesus about the Family” would hardly sell a copy. And, if someone did read it, as most are drunk on cultural christianity, man’s psycho-babble comfort and ego-centric teaching on the topic of family, and fear of man... how many are true Christians and would change their lives to live JUST like Jesus said and did?
Do you have the courage and faith to be HIS disciple, rather than being drugged into something less than Jesus by the Compromiser, who fills the radio and television waves and shamelessly peddles his wares to you at christian bookstores?
The “shadow” of physical marriage and biological family, as wonderful as they are when built around Jesus (a true rarity, even when there is a fish bumper sticker on the family car) have become to most (in a faulty christendom) a REPLACEMENT for God’s Intention: “a hundred mothers, brothers, sisters.” The age old battle is still raging, between the Spirit and the flesh: “The child born in the ordinary way... always persecutes the child born of the Spirit. It is the same now.” (Gal.4). If we could encourage you in any way, we would want you to see THIS, as a proven fact in our seeing real Life over the last 20 years: you will have infinitely FEWER divorces and wild teens and business man evils in your “churches” IF YOU OBEY JESUS and embrace the Right perspective of “Family” instead of “Focus on the (biological) Family” against Jesus’ strict warnings! Ironic, isn’t it? You must LOSE your life, in order to FIND it! That’s the only kind of “Christianity” that there is. The Life of Jesus.
May Father direct your steps as you embrace His heart and walk these things out, without regard to the persecution you shall certainly face for refusing to love the world and conform to the patterns of this Life-less mediocre world. He “thinks better things in your case.”
Let’s live for HIM who died for us. Time is short and Life is Good.
Grace to you as you walk in His Provision.......
Remember the Chains
(by Seeds)
A lone man is thrown into the darkness
His hands and feet shackled to a wall
It’s the penalty of voicing his confession
And the weight of it begins to fall
As he remembers his family
Left behind with pain now to endure
Within his darkened isolation
To his Lord he does cry
Oh Lord, ease this pain
Take any Truth I might have
Take it and give it to them, please, Lord
A woman rejected and forsaken
By the ones she has always known
The family she has belonged to
Now call her dead, leaving her alone
But the Truth that she now firmly holds to
Brings her life she just can’t deny
Yet from her lonely isolation
To her Lord she does cry
Oh Lord, ease this pain
Soften through their fearful hearts
That my family might be saved, please, Lord
These are the prayers of our brothers and sisters
Enduring persecution for the call
Their cries must not be in silence
It must be shattered by our prayers
A gathering of adoration
In His Life they’ve come to pray
Fearing they have been reported
Yet determined they must stay
And intercede on behalf of the Body
To endure and make it to the end
Together in their common isolation
To their Lord they do cry
Oh Lord, ease this pain
Give to us Your Holy Strength to stand up
And confess Your name, please, Lord
These are the prayers of our brothers and sisters
Enduring persecution for the call
Their cries must not be in silence
It must be shattered by our prayers