Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
We are very pleased to share with you this month some exciting new developments at Biblical Families, and we expect that this is only the beginning of many new opportunities for us to be of service to you. Let’s get right to it:
New Staff Members
First and foremost, we’d like to welcome our two new members of the ministry team here at Biblical Families; we are very blessed to have them on board, and are very happy God sent them to be a part and to be of service to you – as our Resident Bible Scholars. These gentlemen are able to offer much more in terms of the written case for Biblical Marriage then we ever could before, and we think you’ll find them a great asset as you make your case for your beliefs with others.
Please welcome:
Dr. K.R. Allen has served as a pastor for many years within various evangelical churches. He earned his Master of Arts degree in theology and Doctor of Theology in Apologetics and Systematic Theology; He has served also as a professor of theology in two evangelical seminaries. Furthermore, he has authored and published several theology works. Along with pastoral and professor responsibilities Dr. Allen has also served on various religious and family ministry boards. Besides his passion for writing, teaching, and making disciples he loves the outdoors.
Dr. C.V. Raegean received his PhD in Theology from one of the most recognized evangelical seminaries in America today. His service as pastor at New Hope Baptist Church and Grace Community Bible Fellowship has given him a professor’s head but a pastors’ heart. He also served as the chief counselor at A.M.O.J.C. for marriages in ministry and has currently accepted a scholar residency at Biblicalfamilies.org.
Doc, Nathan, Todd remain on staff as well – we are currently enjoying the opportunity to consider new ministry options with the expanded team, and look forward to seeing what God has next for Biblical Families. We have too many ideas, and not enough time! You can always reach us all at staff@biblicalfamilies.org. Let us know how we can serve you.
New Teaching Forum
Please have a look at our new Teaching forum, and read some of the initial articles being made available by our resident scholars – we expect this important resource to grow considerably, and would like to hear your input on what you’d like to see addressed. We believe this section will be critical to defining Biblical Families and defending the Biblical truths that we as members share. Please note that while you may not agree with every single thing you read here, Biblical Families remains committed to the inclusion of Christians from many backgrounds in our ministry outreach – these articles do not define the limits of our fellowship.
New Paltalk chatroom – meet the staff, this Saturday!
While our ladies chat regularly in a simple chat room on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm EDT, we have been looking for a more powerful chat option for our members to fellowship with, and to be used for outreach. We our happy to have found our answer in our new Paltalk chat room! If you don't have Paltalk installed, you'll need to do that to participate, the instructions are straightforward. And if you don't have a Paltalk 'handle' yet (or even if you do), we'd suggest trying for the same handle you use on the Biblical Families forum - that'll let us know who you are in the chat room easily. This room includes a voice option, so be sure you have your speakers working when you visit.
Paltalk is more than just a place to chat on line: if you’ve never used it, you’ll soon see it can be powerful outreach tool when used correctly. Come and meet some of the Biblical Families staff this Saturday, 8/28, and our Paltalk administrator Brian (aka ‘Biblical Marriage’). The room will be open from at least 10a-4p EDT Saturday, and as many of us as possible will try to be present for the Noon-1pm hour.
If you already have Paltalk installed, just search the room list for “Biblical Families org”. We hope to establish a regular weekly evening time for a member chat, let us know what evening you would prefer.
Biblical Families Radio back on the air! - “Meet the Resident Bible Scholars”, this Sunday night!
Doc will be back on the air this Sunday night, 8/29, at 9pm EDT – along with our new resident Bible scholars Dr Raegean and Dr Allen, discussing a number of aspects of Biblical Marriage and plans for Biblical Families. Listen live and call in and say hello and ask them a hard question, or try to guess what part of the country they are from. This will be a great opportunity to get to know everyone involved. Don’t forget you can always download the show afterwards.
Quick retreat updates
If you haven’t yet heard, the West Coast retreat has been rescheduled for November 5-7th, in Phoenix, Arizona. Our expected attendance is already higher with this change, and location details will be sent out soon. If you are interested and haven’t let us know, drop us an email now to retreats@biblicalfamilies.org
We are still planning our December retreat in Alabama, also. Watch the newsletter for details.
Prayer for members in need
If you are active on the forums or our Facebook site, you know that there are a lot of needs among Biblical Families members currently. Know that we are lifting up members constantly - for struggles with relatives, church leaders, and others; and for physical needs and injuries, and for the many members who are in need of jobs and stand at a crossroads looking for direction from the Lord. Please join us in prayer for all those in need, and if you have it laid on your heart to do more than pray, feel free to drop us a note at staff@biblicalfamilies.org, and ask how else you can help. Thanks much for your prayers for our far-flung body.
That’s enough news for one newsletter; we don’t want to overwhelm you, so keep an eye out for even more opportunities to participate in the next newsletter.
We’ll leave you with some thoughts on what you are instilling in your family:
Fear of the Lord: The Fundamental for the Family
Dr K.R. Allen
If someone were to ask me: “what do you think is the most important ingredient to a healthy family,” what would I say in response? I would suppose that my response be for the family, especially the parent(s) to display a reverent and healthy dose of respect and fear of the almighty God. A child or wife may not remember what was preached last week from the local pastor, but if they see and know that you as a father, or you as a mother truly have a reverent fear of the Lord they’ll take that to heart.
In the book of Proverbs we find that the very opening of the book reveals the key to a healthy life before the Lord. Solomon, the author of Proverbs, opens the book with a word of instruction about the importance of knowledge, wisdom, insight, righteousness, justice, and equity. Yet these are fruits of something deeper. As important as knowledge is, as important as wisdom and insight are for a balanced life, Solomon took it back one step further. Solomon stated, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
When a family is in good health the leader or leaders of the family are modeling an attitude that shows to all who will observe that they are truly submitted to the ultimate leader of all. The word fear here means a reverence to such a degree that it changes the way you act. So how does this relate to knowledge? How does this form the most fundamental element for health in a Christian family?
It is rather simple. People, especially children, have something called discernment skills. And if a person is a believer he or she may even have a spiritual gift called discernment (see 1 Cor. 12:8-10). A person can discern, sense, feel, and/or see whether or not there is true fear and respect for the Lord or if the actions are being done with no heart felt connection to God. In short, if a person does not fear God his life, his speech, and his actions are often fake and hypocritical. Jesus Christ our Lord taught us to “fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Solomon sees the beginning of all real knowledge flowing from this root.
Practical Application for the Family
Parent(s) there is a danger that looms over the horizon. You may think that the greatest error you can make is by not knowing some truth and thus without a particular knowledge of a particular subject you may consequently damage your child or family. But that is not the biggest issue. The larger and more important issue is do you truly in your heart fear the Almighty God of the universe? Do you have such a deep respect for him that it flows from your lips and actions? Is God a being that you speak flippantly about or do you speak of him with a sense of awe in your tone and in your choice of words? Granted, we don’t want to present God as some cosmic cop just waiting to pounce on us for every error we commit. That is not what we mean when we say respect and fear. But what we do mean is that our image and view of God must be one to where we recognize that God is the author, sustainer, and ruler over all. He is the Creator and we are the creation. So you may now be asking: “ok, well how can I practically know if I do have that type of respect and fear of God in me.” Solomon gave us the practical test in the same verse. Those who truly have a healthy dose of fear or reverence for God are teachable people. In contrast to those who fear God are those who are fools. The Bible says: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A person who fears God will be willing to listen, evaluate, and consider instruction along with wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the art of being able to understand and apply truth to real life situations. It is the opposite of theoretical knowledge. Therefore, if you truly fear God you’ll desire to model a lifestyle of gaining knowledge in order to apply it to real life situations. Your fear of God will translate in action instead of stubbornness and an attitude that despises instruction. If you, however, don’t like to learn through wisdom and instruction then in prayer admit that to God and ask him to change your heart. But then be ready for him to test you to see if you are willing to be taught. Your family’s health is at stake by how you as a parent revere the ultimate Parent!
We are very pleased to share with you this month some exciting new developments at Biblical Families, and we expect that this is only the beginning of many new opportunities for us to be of service to you. Let’s get right to it:
New Staff Members
First and foremost, we’d like to welcome our two new members of the ministry team here at Biblical Families; we are very blessed to have them on board, and are very happy God sent them to be a part and to be of service to you – as our Resident Bible Scholars. These gentlemen are able to offer much more in terms of the written case for Biblical Marriage then we ever could before, and we think you’ll find them a great asset as you make your case for your beliefs with others.
Please welcome:
Dr. K.R. Allen has served as a pastor for many years within various evangelical churches. He earned his Master of Arts degree in theology and Doctor of Theology in Apologetics and Systematic Theology; He has served also as a professor of theology in two evangelical seminaries. Furthermore, he has authored and published several theology works. Along with pastoral and professor responsibilities Dr. Allen has also served on various religious and family ministry boards. Besides his passion for writing, teaching, and making disciples he loves the outdoors.
Dr. C.V. Raegean received his PhD in Theology from one of the most recognized evangelical seminaries in America today. His service as pastor at New Hope Baptist Church and Grace Community Bible Fellowship has given him a professor’s head but a pastors’ heart. He also served as the chief counselor at A.M.O.J.C. for marriages in ministry and has currently accepted a scholar residency at Biblicalfamilies.org.
Doc, Nathan, Todd remain on staff as well – we are currently enjoying the opportunity to consider new ministry options with the expanded team, and look forward to seeing what God has next for Biblical Families. We have too many ideas, and not enough time! You can always reach us all at staff@biblicalfamilies.org. Let us know how we can serve you.
New Teaching Forum
Please have a look at our new Teaching forum, and read some of the initial articles being made available by our resident scholars – we expect this important resource to grow considerably, and would like to hear your input on what you’d like to see addressed. We believe this section will be critical to defining Biblical Families and defending the Biblical truths that we as members share. Please note that while you may not agree with every single thing you read here, Biblical Families remains committed to the inclusion of Christians from many backgrounds in our ministry outreach – these articles do not define the limits of our fellowship.
New Paltalk chatroom – meet the staff, this Saturday!
While our ladies chat regularly in a simple chat room on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm EDT, we have been looking for a more powerful chat option for our members to fellowship with, and to be used for outreach. We our happy to have found our answer in our new Paltalk chat room! If you don't have Paltalk installed, you'll need to do that to participate, the instructions are straightforward. And if you don't have a Paltalk 'handle' yet (or even if you do), we'd suggest trying for the same handle you use on the Biblical Families forum - that'll let us know who you are in the chat room easily. This room includes a voice option, so be sure you have your speakers working when you visit.
Paltalk is more than just a place to chat on line: if you’ve never used it, you’ll soon see it can be powerful outreach tool when used correctly. Come and meet some of the Biblical Families staff this Saturday, 8/28, and our Paltalk administrator Brian (aka ‘Biblical Marriage’). The room will be open from at least 10a-4p EDT Saturday, and as many of us as possible will try to be present for the Noon-1pm hour.
If you already have Paltalk installed, just search the room list for “Biblical Families org”. We hope to establish a regular weekly evening time for a member chat, let us know what evening you would prefer.
Biblical Families Radio back on the air! - “Meet the Resident Bible Scholars”, this Sunday night!
Doc will be back on the air this Sunday night, 8/29, at 9pm EDT – along with our new resident Bible scholars Dr Raegean and Dr Allen, discussing a number of aspects of Biblical Marriage and plans for Biblical Families. Listen live and call in and say hello and ask them a hard question, or try to guess what part of the country they are from. This will be a great opportunity to get to know everyone involved. Don’t forget you can always download the show afterwards.
Quick retreat updates
If you haven’t yet heard, the West Coast retreat has been rescheduled for November 5-7th, in Phoenix, Arizona. Our expected attendance is already higher with this change, and location details will be sent out soon. If you are interested and haven’t let us know, drop us an email now to retreats@biblicalfamilies.org
We are still planning our December retreat in Alabama, also. Watch the newsletter for details.
Prayer for members in need
If you are active on the forums or our Facebook site, you know that there are a lot of needs among Biblical Families members currently. Know that we are lifting up members constantly - for struggles with relatives, church leaders, and others; and for physical needs and injuries, and for the many members who are in need of jobs and stand at a crossroads looking for direction from the Lord. Please join us in prayer for all those in need, and if you have it laid on your heart to do more than pray, feel free to drop us a note at staff@biblicalfamilies.org, and ask how else you can help. Thanks much for your prayers for our far-flung body.
That’s enough news for one newsletter; we don’t want to overwhelm you, so keep an eye out for even more opportunities to participate in the next newsletter.
We’ll leave you with some thoughts on what you are instilling in your family:
Fear of the Lord: The Fundamental for the Family
Dr K.R. Allen
If someone were to ask me: “what do you think is the most important ingredient to a healthy family,” what would I say in response? I would suppose that my response be for the family, especially the parent(s) to display a reverent and healthy dose of respect and fear of the almighty God. A child or wife may not remember what was preached last week from the local pastor, but if they see and know that you as a father, or you as a mother truly have a reverent fear of the Lord they’ll take that to heart.
In the book of Proverbs we find that the very opening of the book reveals the key to a healthy life before the Lord. Solomon, the author of Proverbs, opens the book with a word of instruction about the importance of knowledge, wisdom, insight, righteousness, justice, and equity. Yet these are fruits of something deeper. As important as knowledge is, as important as wisdom and insight are for a balanced life, Solomon took it back one step further. Solomon stated, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
When a family is in good health the leader or leaders of the family are modeling an attitude that shows to all who will observe that they are truly submitted to the ultimate leader of all. The word fear here means a reverence to such a degree that it changes the way you act. So how does this relate to knowledge? How does this form the most fundamental element for health in a Christian family?
It is rather simple. People, especially children, have something called discernment skills. And if a person is a believer he or she may even have a spiritual gift called discernment (see 1 Cor. 12:8-10). A person can discern, sense, feel, and/or see whether or not there is true fear and respect for the Lord or if the actions are being done with no heart felt connection to God. In short, if a person does not fear God his life, his speech, and his actions are often fake and hypocritical. Jesus Christ our Lord taught us to “fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Solomon sees the beginning of all real knowledge flowing from this root.
Practical Application for the Family
Parent(s) there is a danger that looms over the horizon. You may think that the greatest error you can make is by not knowing some truth and thus without a particular knowledge of a particular subject you may consequently damage your child or family. But that is not the biggest issue. The larger and more important issue is do you truly in your heart fear the Almighty God of the universe? Do you have such a deep respect for him that it flows from your lips and actions? Is God a being that you speak flippantly about or do you speak of him with a sense of awe in your tone and in your choice of words? Granted, we don’t want to present God as some cosmic cop just waiting to pounce on us for every error we commit. That is not what we mean when we say respect and fear. But what we do mean is that our image and view of God must be one to where we recognize that God is the author, sustainer, and ruler over all. He is the Creator and we are the creation. So you may now be asking: “ok, well how can I practically know if I do have that type of respect and fear of God in me.” Solomon gave us the practical test in the same verse. Those who truly have a healthy dose of fear or reverence for God are teachable people. In contrast to those who fear God are those who are fools. The Bible says: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A person who fears God will be willing to listen, evaluate, and consider instruction along with wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the art of being able to understand and apply truth to real life situations. It is the opposite of theoretical knowledge. Therefore, if you truly fear God you’ll desire to model a lifestyle of gaining knowledge in order to apply it to real life situations. Your fear of God will translate in action instead of stubbornness and an attitude that despises instruction. If you, however, don’t like to learn through wisdom and instruction then in prayer admit that to God and ask him to change your heart. But then be ready for him to test you to see if you are willing to be taught. Your family’s health is at stake by how you as a parent revere the ultimate Parent!