Family

--Sermon by Dr. Bob Benchoff September 24, 2005

When people think of family, many often think a family is typically a very tight social group with male and female adults in love and married. They usually have children and sometimes have a grandparent or other elderly relative living with them, that is in their family and in their financial responsibility. The children are in the group according to default, automatically; and any others are in the group according to verbal agreement, such as perhaps including information about who is in charge, who pays what, and who is responsible for what, such as responsibility of an elder to babysit children.

In general the group is headed by the Dad, the Mom is in charge of operations of the social group unit unless the Dad works to redirect Mom, and if Dad has a better idea or does not want the change Mom indicates, Mom might agree for the sake of the family, for the sake of the children, and so on. The Dad might want something the Mom does not want, such as laziness for the Dad, or addiction for the Dad. Such might harm the family and such in the long run, so the Dad needs to not only lead, yet also consider being led or explaining unselfish motivation.

Considering what the Dad wants is to consider what God wants, often interpreted as or similar to proper leadership, dictatorship, divine authority, and such. Yet for Dad to continue on course is to hold onto the rules of the house, as if the house building had any importance. It has importance yet only according to the family. Increasing dictatorship weakens family bonds, decreasing dictatorship decreases appreciation, such as freeing children to write on the walls. In either case the balance of justice is needed, yet moreso is the guideline of righteousness needed, without wrecklessly dismissing the value of justice.

The Dad often seeks major changes to improve the family whilst the Mom often seeks safety of knowns that have held the family together. The Dad often seeks functionality, since functionality often accomplishes his goals, whilst the Mom often seeks beauty and refinement, such as the more fanciful things that family and guests can appreciate.

Function is hard to argue against, yet life is more than functionality. Sometimes tiny purchases outweigh large functional purchases. A Dad might buy a needed car, while a Mom might buy fancy keyring that might be a nuisance to the Dad, except that it reminds the Dad of the Mom and family, so much so that the pleasure overcomes the function.

While the Dad works, the Mom might work too, or might stay home with the family and care for them. While the Dad often thinks of work projects, the Mom often thinks of family social interactions, and functional aspects thereof, such as a relative dating someone. So the change to the family is considered and when told to the Dad, the Dad may often not be interested unless unacceptable. So the roles seem to reverse, yet do not. The Mom may help with wedding plans, functionally, while the Dad may merely throw rice provided by the Mom.

So there is a higher order than functionality, and there is something higher than the joy associated with throwing rice and associated with a fancy key ring. The higher order is with the children, including their future which includes appreciation of their elderly states of existence. Yet to live only to produce children also follows the higher order.

There are rules for the house or similar dwelling. Moreover there are guidelines for living. The rules do not respect children nor family. The rules do not think to respect anything, unless they are living rules. Some rules change so little as to seem to not change at all. While other rules change so rapidly so as to not even be called rules at all. Such might be called guidelines, suggestions, or even current discussion toward like-mindedness.

There are rules such as gravity, and there are discussions such as about entertainment. While gravity can have purpose such as in a business scientific sense, people in lively entertainment can be awesome in the minds of those who appreciate such social rules. While new discoveries can entertain, living is more about higher energy. If the higher energy becomes increasingly unruly, living decreases accordingly, therefore the functional business scientific must overcome. If the business functionality becomes too unimaginative, freedom must overcome lest there be loss of fun.

The Word of God lives and holds fun unimaginable, save to such as appreciate the Word of God. The Word of God is founded in love and family, yet extends into all walks of life. Yet the Word of God is not overcome save of the Word of God, that is, the Word of God is not less fun, save of relative thought. The world has people that are relatives, yet to live in a house, the people agree by default or according to discussion or similar, that there is a household head in any given moment.

The House of God is not made by people, rather the House of God is in the people already. Therefore people are not relative to the House of God in worldly terms, rather the people God made are the House of God and are not overcome.

The children are the heirs of the family, yet One Heir is Holy, therefore the children must work to get along with each other and all people properly, lest the children do not agree with the Word of the Father God, as represented in the family, as being God in person as with (if or when, in worldly terms) risen Jesus Christ comes to visit, or the Holy Father is in Spirit alway [always] present, in each family member according to their ability to acknowledge and receive faithfully, and then also the Dad is the representative of the family of same, and when the Dad is away then likewise the Mom is representative, and similarly when away a chosen may lead or the eldest by default, lest the eldest is of medical inability in the field of interest not to dismiss the elderly abilities otherwise.

Such is the pattern of God, such is the Word, so therefore the children must agree lest they be not agreeing to the Word, and lest they lose what little they have, in other words, when they agree with authority God places over them, they have no hole in their safetynet, in other words, the children are to agree with the Word of God, because the Word of God is as if written for them and greater living. Even so, the Word of God does not leave the children undone; nonetheless, the Word of God is no respecter of persons, rather for the greater glory of God.

We glorify God in leaving not undone the caring for the children of our families, rather all. Even so, rather respect the Word and glorify God, lest We respect a spoiled child wrongly and fail to sufficiently glorify God.

We respect the family, yet not overly, We respect God, yet overly; that is, if We can manage to provide properly for family, then We have not left the other undone, and so We glorify God, and knowing that at the time We have also provided for family, then We glorify God more than again, and on a higher level faithfully according to Our ability, even for a time as provided of God, therefore God blesses We trust in One Perfect Way being realized in those in the family of great faith.

As a minimum, consider that if a family member be in a moment about to choose, because they have not yet reached the decision about which they are about to reach, prophetically, then they are chosen to do good of the family, yet are free to choose, therefore while chosen to do good, the yet to decide has yet to prove righteousness, therefore in that moment they have not chosen rightousness to that extent yet to be, therefore they are of the pattern of the longsuffering, therefore they suffer already and therefore how much more shall We punish them?; no, rather how much more shall We reward.

Such is the heart of faith and the reward of the blessed family. Yet even the very elect are shaken with words and indicators and choices to be made. Therefore, let there be One Standard and let the children learn with kindness given them as they have suffered already: even Christ suffered for all (for the glory of God rather, nonetheless that all benefit). The guilty mobbed Christ, and Christ did not come down from the cross to strike them down, rather suffered that all might receive redemption and grace. Therefore how much more We love and help the family and protect even when the family does wrong, yet only to the extent that We accept responsibility and are willing to accept the burden of punishment on Ourself.

When time is not allowing and when nonsense is not appreciated, there are higher reasonings that allow that the leader must properly represent the family and not act carelessly. Therefore the authority must at times intervene quickly and swiftly administer punishment due to the momentary circumstances, allowing the exceptional harming to be subdued. Such is right that punishment be controlled by the authority and less if at all by the infant.

The school teacher, judge, police officer, and other may at times share authority with the authority within the family, to help the family for God. Yet such includes the subduing of harm to an extent, even within the family. Since We trust God, and agree with God that representatives are placed in authority over beloved family members, then We agree with God that family members are to be tried if appropriate. If to be possibly tried, then We agree that We are to be kind, merciful, and helpful to all, within the glorifying of God.

Therefore if there is any punishment to be delivered, let it be according to the nearest and most kind and understanding within the family first, lest another come and potentially without full measure (according to worldly nature) of understanding of the situation offer less mercy; also therefore let families be the example of mercy, honor, justice, reverence, and all things good. Let families be divine within, and let families be the goodly example outwardly.

Let families teach mercy, that mercy in the balance finds the proving of worthiness in them and in theirs and those taught and those taught of the students who become the teachers, that all may be One in living.

Therefore, what One wants is new mercy, as the old has been learnt and the new is expected to be better lest the learning be no more and hence the living cease; therefore the new overcomes the former mercy. What used to be sufficient mercy in grandeur and style of fashion such as to say "You are forgiven.", for instance, is become of faded significance as the new mercy, honor, justice, reverence, and all things good have become greater.

Families advance with civilization, even chance is therefore greater. In times past, a person could build a fire and of chance perhaps cause a forest fire, and a relatively small amount of mercy covered it. Yet today, a person might cause a chain reaction destroying Earth, perhaps even making a Big Bang. In such a case, relatively great mercy is needed to cover the child. Rather let One mercy be new and greater in the family and beyond.

Let One new mercy be beforehand, before the event, rather that working to pick-up the broken pieces. Let One new mercy be proactive in mending fences, overcoming fences, and even making the first steps toward world peace. Let One new mercy be of the Planning of God and let One new mercy be the hope of the future and the blessing of God, strategic more than of tactic, even all strategic. And let it begin in the families, even One Holy Family.

God gave a great gift unto the Chosen, that they alone be Chosen and no others be entered-in. Yet the times changed in the world, and the valuing of the tribes changed. Decreasing and increasing in family numbers and in numbers of families, sabra became beholding to new and greater blessings and gifts from God.

No longer was the Chosen Family under fear from the worldly contamination, rather the Chosen Family fearing God became proven to themselves and then unto the world, that faith in God overcomes evil, and the Chosen Family overcomes the world according to the faith of the Chosen Family and according to any part thereof. Since if Moses can have faith, so to a person can have great faith and greater, as the new blessing to the family with each newborn, receives new mercy, honor, justice, reverence, and all things good as much as the goodly family can provide, even a new tent, even as much as a new Promised Land at the end of the journey, yet the Family is more than tents and lands.

The Family is more than brother and sister, the Family has a new Holy Father, even an improved Holy Father, of all wisdom, even to know to love to gain wisdom, and not to leave the Family undone nor left behind, rather to have mercy on them as the Family embarks on a new journey beyond Egypt, even beyond Israel, even beyond any Big Bang, even unto the Plan of God, and yet moreso perfecting wisely, profoundly, and sanely.

We do not throw out the baby with the bath water, just because the baby happens to be a smarter, and more loving genius than the world has ever seen; rather the Family has mercy, as this was the hope of the longsuffering generations. This is the hope, the Christ, the Plan.

This is the mercy, the peace, the longjoy, and the Way of the One Family, the new Family, the better than previously known, the untried and untested, yet of mercy as provided of the Family of Faith.

The new Family does not fear the unknown, rather only fears God, and as One with God, only fears One, even Oneself when discluding none and while not considering any other as all others have been included in One and are One (lest they choose chance), as the new Family is the Father to nations as the seed of Abraham spreads throughout the galaxy and beyond.

No longer are We an isolated planet, nor an isolated person, rather We are One, in Family and Father in Us: Family in I, and I in Father. We conquer not lest for Family and Father. We promote mercy not lest for Family and Father. We agree not, lest for Family and Father.

Who can withstand the powers of hell is hardly Our concern, as the Father has done so already. Who can challenge Us and put Us on the spot in the balance of justice is hardly Our concern, as the Father has overcome already, yet the Father continues to read and bring to rememberance the Holy Plan of power and mercy, and the Father continues to live, and the Family overcomes the world, in the Father.

There is a mercy, and it is the divine ordinance; there is a peace, and it is the divine agreeing; there is a sword, and it is the divine grace; there is a suffering, and it is the divine justice. Let therefore the mercy run in the Family to deliver divinity unto life eternal, let sufferage promote the sword unto it's own end at the cross of former overcome of new, let the sword agree with peace and not be held back, and let agreeing find mercy righteously quickly, that the Family be found, and that it be found just.

The Family has reached the Promised Land, yet that is hardly the start, it is yet only a glimpse of the Plan of the new beginning. The glory of God has hardly yet been awakened even now, therefore let the Family work quickly enlightening, lest the end time be at hand. If the greater glory is not given to the Family God, then is the great stirring under the wrath of One come even now. Behold the Family, behold the beginning time, behold the first fruits, behold One New Mind; behold the wrath, behold the calm, behold the new lover, behold the new Heaven.

It is the Family, it is the grace, it is the truth, it is the faith. We are the Family. They are no more, unto Our reasoning. We are the relatives, they are our children not yet conceived; yet rather they are Us they are One. They are peace, We known them as Our brethern, even as Ourself. We are their teacher, We teach Ourself, We are Our Father, We are Our Mission. We are Our Plan, We are Our means, We are Our duty, We are Our means. We are Our victory, We are Our glory, We are Our future, We are Our hope. I am the worker, I am the hunted, I am the victor, I am the gain. I am the longsufferer, I am the challenged, I am the conception, I am the Family.

The Family is Holy the Family alive, the Family is giving, the Family living. Family is hope, Family is grace, Family is consciousness, Family is pure. Clean and scrub, rather say I and mean We. Be busy and rather make all so of choice; moreso, let choice and One agree, yet let sacrifice be overcome in the One Family Jesus Christ.

I Family are We, rather I Family is One. I you is Us, rather even so accept Christ. The wait is over, the past is subdued, lest God be yet hoping, rather God has overcome. Those were the families, that was the past, these are Our children, One Heir is the Future. Glad are the tidings, joyous the glory, living is of Family, Family of God.

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