Discussion Evening/Presentation in Menahga 18.02.2017

And hopefully and possibly some of that comes up and out now during this discussion what we visited.

So the topic for tonight is preserving the family unit. In fact, it is part of God's order. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows what we are like because He is our Creator. He knows us so well that it is impossible to understand. Or do you know how many hairs you have lost today? God knows. Not even a single hair drops from our heads without God knowing it. I feel dizzy when I think about that. How is it possible that there are billions of people in this world, and His amount of knowledge is so vast that He knows how many hairs we have in our heads? God knows us so well. He knows us in and out. He knows our thoughts, He knows our weaknesses, He knows everything.

And I don't think we should forget either how well the enemy of the souls knows us. I'm not quite set as I wished, but one day I... Well, I'll try not to jump too much. The enemy of the souls knows us very precisely as well. Thank you, brother, I appreciate that. I didn't realize it was so tricky. I feel much better now. Thank you.

So, I think we typically tend to forget that the enemy of the souls is not another man. The enemy of the souls is a fallen angel, and the brothers seemed to have the understanding that the enemy of the souls was the kind of chief head angel, archangel in the heaven. And so our opponent in evil is mighty. We are nothing compared to the enemy of the souls, thinking of the power, strength, or possibilities in fighting against. We should never take the enemy of the souls very lightly and think that, "Oh, yeah, it's a fallen angel." The enemy of the souls is a noteworthy opponent and full of evil, full of lies, and his only goal is to make you fall away from faith. Everything that he does points to that direction, that you would fall away from faith, and God knows that as well.

And I think that's why God instituted the family. The family unit, it's the closest fortress for us to keep faith and good conscience. But it also can be the closest enemy. You remember how Jesus spoke of this one story where the supper was being prepared, and the invitation was sent for the guests to come to the supper, and there was one who had bought a piece of land, and he had to go see it in the dark, in the evening. The other had bought many oxen, and he had to go check it. But they had some feeling of discomfort. They said, "Please tell my excuse." They felt uneasy with saying that. But do you remember there was a third man who had married, and this woman didn't want to believe, and this woman didn't want him to believe either. This woman did not want him to go to this supper. And he said... He did not say, "Please tell my excuse." He said, "I have married a woman, and I cannot come." Period. That was it. I cannot come. It was impossible for him to come.

So we see how a believing spouse and a believing family is the greatest temporal gift that we can own. And a spouse, unbelieving spouse, who actively fights against faith is maybe the biggest opponent, maybe the biggest obstacle for faith that we can think about. So those of us who, for some reason, for the goodness of God, have received a believing spouse... Let us be very thankful. Let us be so thankful that we never want to forget that blessing from God. And let us remember those who do not have this good fortune.

I know that getting married is not the goal of life. The goal of life is to make it to heaven. This life is a very short period of time. No matter what the enemy says, no matter if the enemy says to you young ones, "Oh, life is so long, go and enjoy this world and then come back." No, life is short. Believe it or not, I was in a conference camp a couple months ago, and now I'm over sixty. I don't know where these years went. I was there two months ago or something like that. It's amazing how short life is. Where did the years go? I still think that I'm a kind of a young man, but when I see a photo, I realize that, no, I am not. That's what life is. Don't think that you will live here long.

And secondly, living as a believer is the best possible way of life, even in this time. We own a double blessing, a blessing of this life and the life to come. The blessing of this life is around us. All the believers around us, and the peace that we carry in our hearts, and the hope of heaven, all the escorts, everything that God so abundantly gives unto us. And the family, God has blessed the family.

Here we see how mothers brought children for Jesus, that He should touch them. That was their goal, that Jesus should touch them. And when we who have lost children to unbelief, we have prayed to God that, "Please touch my child. Touch my child, that they would return back." That was the goal as a parent, that Jesus would touch my children. And that's why you are here. Little boys and girls, that's why your parents bring you to services, that Jesus would touch you. And that's why we come, old folks, that God would touch us with His Word.

And Jesus' disciples were... They were very short-sighted. Maybe they were tired, and for sure, they loved Jesus. Maybe they feared that Jesus will become tired, and they said to the parents that, "Ah, maybe you shouldn't bring your children." And when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." So we all, adult folks, we are just kind of guests here. This is the kingdom of children. Children are the natives here. We are here only by the grace of God. Because of God's goodness, we have been accepted here. This is children's kingdom.

You remember, when the Israelites left from Egypt, it was a big nation, over six hundred thousand men capable of war, meaning over twenty. Of them, two reached the Promised Land. Two of them reached the Promised Land. That's a very small ratio. Over six hundred thousand left, two made it to the Promised Land. So it is a miracle that we are believing. We should never take it for granted. We should never think that, "Of course, I'm a believer." It's not of course. It's a miracle that we can be believers, and that's why God blessed the family.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, in the image of God created Him, male and female created Him. This is the Word of God. This is no one's opinion. This is the Word of God. God created man and woman. That's what He did. No matter how much this world is confused with it, whatever they say, that it's not that clear, it is exactly this clear. God created men and women, period. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth."

Do you find... that this time has changed also this fact? They said this world is too full already. They know better than God! I think that the one who decides to give instructions to God must be very wise. Do you feel that you are capable of giving advice to God? Well, I know that many of us have tried in our weakness. Many times we have given some good, well-meaning hints to God, how He should run our lives, and He has not worried about them very much, has He? And He has guided our lives so well, so beautifully, with such a might, that when we look back in our lives, we say, "I would have messed up my life so bad, but God has taken care of me so well that I have a hope of heaven."

God's blessing has a purpose, first and foremost, to bring souls to heaven. That's the intention why God made what He made. Family is a fundamental societal unit. This society stands or falls with this unit and the whole world. If you think of the history of mankind, how many powerful nations there have been? If you think, say, a Pharaoh of Egypt, when Moses went there for the first time, he said, "Who is that God that I should do what he says?" He was at the top. He was the god himself. That's what the Pharaoh thought about himself: "I am the god. There is no other god. I am the god." Do you think there are Pharaohs in Egypt? The whole system fell down. Roman Empire, in its time, it was the world. The whole world should be taxed, says Luke two. What is the whole world now? It has collapsed. It has disappeared. Many others were there... That new mighty nation brought their mighty thought and conquered the lands and thought that we are eternal, and they have disappeared hundreds of years ago. Sin makes a nation to collapse. And family is the basic piece with which societies are being built.

The family has always been a fundamental unit in society. In the Congregation of Christ, the concepts of marriage and family have remained unchanged on a scriptural foundation. But this cannot be said for much else. In God's congregation, it has, and that's why God has blessed His congregation. And if we lose this, I would say we lose faith. It's so essential. It's God's... It's not God's suggestion, it's God's commandment. God does not suggest that, please think about this, that if you like about this, please keep it. We don't have this option. It's His commandment.

In this day's society, respect for matrimony has crashed in our time. The reason for this has been the general detachment from that set of values whose foundations are in God's Word. It is so evident around us. At the same time, man has become a shirker of responsibility, of avoiding responsibility. "It's too much. I wanna stay away from that." A hedonist, a hedonist means a person who is looking for the pleasures of this life, who wants to have those... I don't know what's the English term for *huippukokemus*. It's straight translation from Finnish is a top experience, like kind of an extreme experience. They want to enjoy whatever it is, food, sex, drinking, whatever they want to have or riches or... They want to have the best. And of course, we know that that's our weakness as well. But hedonism is that there's freedom for that. It's even a goal, that this is what life is, that we are supposed to look for the pleasures of this life... and he is a seeker after his own benefit.

In this type of world, a person thinks he doesn't need the security and order in his life that Christian marriage provides. This is from Treasure Hidden in a Field, and it's so well said. I think it describes this time very aptly. Society affects us as God's children, and I would say this is why this topic was seen so important, that we kinda stop and look around. And, well, and one elderly lady was once asked, "How are you doing?" And she gave a good answer. She said, "I'm doing fine until I start comparing." But I would say in this matter that stop and compare, see how much this world is suffering from these matters, how deep sorrows, how deep wounds the people have who think that, "Okay, we will first check if and do a test drive for three years if we fit together, and if not, I'll go on and check someone else." And then they-- If they get married, they make or determine prenuptial agreement, that when we get separated, you don't get this vehicle because I love it. So when they get married, the marriage is being built on distrust. They don't say, "If we divorce," but they say, "When." So these wounds are very deep, and they hurt so bad.

Compare and don't think, and don't believe what the enemy says, that if you would have a little more freedom for your flesh, you'd be much happier. That's untrue. The enemy of the souls has been a liar from the very first beginning. Don't do what the enemy says. Don't follow his advice. Be content, and follow that which the Word of God, God's congregation, and the conscience which is bound to God's Word teaches. There are three teachers, and they teach the same.

I realize in Finland, that when those... What are those people called who make maps? Surveyors. When they do surveying in the vast open areas, say, in swampy areas, they-- When they want to make a clear or precise line, they don't put two stakes, they put three. They put three stakes that describe the line very precisely. And I think for us, believers, we are the three stakes that tell us what's the right direction. We have the Word of God, which teaches us. Then we have God's congregation that teaches us with the Word of God. So it's the same line. And then we have a conscience, and that conscience needs to be tied or bound to the Word of God. We cannot go somewhere else if my conscience teaches differently than the Word of God or God's congregation. We cannot follow the, "I'll follow my conscience. If your conscience teaches this way, go that way, but my conscience teaches this way, so I'll go this way." They all three must point to the same direction. The conscience must be bound to the Word of God and to the understanding of God's congregation. So society affects us, but let's keep that line that God's Word gives unto us so that we don't get lost.

You see, I would say most, the great majority recognize immediately what's happening here. There's a man, there are two daughters, and there is a lady, and they are leaving this city, and there is another city there. The name of this city is Sodom, and the name of this city is Gomorrah, and God decided to destroy those cities because of sin. And they fled, Lot and his two daughters, and Lot's wife... turned once to look back, and that was against the commandment of God. She turned once, just a short glance. Is God strict? Yes, He is very strict. God said, "Do not turn back. Do not turn to look back, and if you do, you will die." And she turned back this one time, and she was changed. She became a pillar of salt with one glance. God is very strict. God doesn't say, "Okay, that happens. We're humans, we are weak." God is not. God is a Spirit. We should not think that I can live how I wish, that God is love. Yes, God is love, but He has two faces. He himself says that, "I punish those who give up my word."

The enemy of the souls has troubled homes and families from the beginning, ever since man has fallen into sin. The first family, and the first son of the first family became a killer. Think about that. The first son, when Eve received his first son, Cain, she thought that the Savior was born, and Cain became the first killer, the first murderer in this world. The first family had to face the... I would say, the biggest tragedy you can think about, that the son killed his brother.

What was Lot's experience? In this city, the Word of God says, "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those, that after should live ungodly. And in a word, just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of that wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day," every day, "from their unlawful deeds." He had to live there. There was lots of pressure from the society.

How does God's Word teach about marriage? This is the Word of God: Submitting ourselves one to another. It doesn't say in the fear of man or in the fear of a woman; it says, in the fear of God. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord," in the fear of God, not in the fear of your husband, but in the fear of God. "For the husband is the head of the wife." This is not my opinion, by the way. This is not a man's opinion. This is God's Word. "Even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wife be to their own husbands in everything."

Okay, does this open the doors for tyranny at home? That's okay, now starts a new phase in our home, and whatever I say, she has to do. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." First of all, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. There is a high calling for us, brothers, and there is a high calling for you, sisters. And the basis for this is the fear of God. God is against... If we husbands are rude and cause our wives to fear our physical strength, it's wrong, and God is against it. He does not bless our family and home life if we do that. And women, do not listen to the teaching of this world, where you must be freed. Freed from what? One day we will be freed from sin. Until that day, we fight and fear... that we wouldn't fall away from faith. We fight for our crowns.

Just as the congregation of God is a level-headed flock, so it is also at home. A believer's marriage and home. This again, is from Treasure Hidden in a Field. When he gave advice to spouses, Paul compared matrimony to the fellowship of Christ and his congregation. What is the fellowship of Christ and his congregation like? Is it distant or is it full of love? These analogies to submission, faithfulness, and all-sacrificing love strip us of all false notions of personal privilege, selfish entitlement, and success. On the other hand, they give a foundation to the marriage that will last through changing times and amid turmoil. They give marriage a special sanctity and join the spouses more closely. It carries the blessing of God. It joins us closer, as well as bring the gospel, the glory of Christ, to everyday trials and temptations.

And to me, the important word here is... everyday trials and temptations. Gospel belongs to every day. I hope that none of our families learn or kind of go to that wrong path, where we think that I only ask for the gospel when I'm in the brink of falling away from faith or in deep despair. The gospel belongs to every day. That is God's wish, that we would live the gospel every day, that it would be natural for us to need the gospel, that it doesn't need anything extra, sorrow or extra something emphasis. But I can ask for the gospel without tears, just when I feel the need for that, that there's a freedom for me to ask for the gospel. In a believing home, there's an open fountain against sin and defilement. The believing home is God's kingdom in miniature. That's kind of starting point of God's kingdom. It shows the children what God's kingdom is like. That God's kingdom is peace and joy, living a forgiveness together, and a part of the large family of God.

In Ecclesiastes, it's written of three things that are beautiful before God and man. I like the way how it's said. It's beautiful, not only before God, but it's also... It feels good to witness. The unity of brethren. When brothers are in unity, it feels good, doesn't it? And... Oh, man! You should take a look what kind of a guy of the year we have in Rockford. The love of neighbors. It's always good to witness when neighbors stick together. They help one another, and a man and a wife that agree together. That home where love dwells, there's so much freedom for the company. You go there, and you sense it immediately. You feel it, and it feels so good. It's not only good for the children, but it's good for the company as well. Everybody feels good there. It's a good place to be.

Without the unity of the Holy Spirit, we would be in unbelief, none of us. Well, I don't talk about you. I don't need to, because I know it so clearly myself. Without the unity of the Holy Spirit, I would have no hope of heaven. I need this congregation. The love of neighbors. Jesus was once asked a question of the great commandment. Great commandment, okay? And the questioner knew the law to the last letter. You know, the person who asked this question knew the letter of the Bible, I would say, to the last letter. They knew what they were talking about. That's what they thought. They knew the letter. Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." Please note, all, not ninety-five percent, not ninety-eight percent, not ninety-nine percent, but all your heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. If I would be able to love my wife as much as I love myself, her life would be sweet. If I could love those around me as much as I love myself, I would be a nice man. And Jesus says, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

A man and a wife that agree together, put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness. Think about these words, how much meaning they convey. Long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. And we know that happens. What to do? Even as Christ forgave you, even as Christ forgave me, I'm supposed to forgive the others. That's where it starts from, because I have been forgiven, I am to forgive the others. And above all these things, put on charity. Charity is love, which is the bond of perfectness.

The old preachers used to preach of this in two pictures that I-- both I love. One was that we are like living bricks of which the temple of God is being built, and it's from the Bible. And then they said that love is like mortar in between the bricks. It seals it together. There's no division. If there's a big gap, there's more mortar. Love is that. Sometimes we need more love. Sometimes we seem and tend to fit so closely that we don't need much, but it goes pretty much without love. It's very simple with some people, and with some other people, we need a little more love.

And the other picture, which speaks of the love of the believers, is the wall of fire that surrounds God's kingdom. We are a walled city. We are separated from this world, and the wall around God's kingdom is a wall of fire, and that's love. Love of the believers. If we think of a thick wall, which is very hard to break, that's a big thing. But if you think that the same wall is just fire, it's... What's the word? Impenetrable. You cannot go through it. It's just fire. It burns you when you try to go close. It won't work. That's a picture of love. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. And think that when all this long list is listed there, the last one is the peace of God. If all this is there, there is peace of God. Peace of God is like the soil of which all these beautiful fruit grow from. I'll just ignore it. To which also ye are called in one body. God's congregation is one body. You know what body means. It's you. You are a body, and you know what is your body. You don't mix your body with someone else's. If somebody has that kind of a hallucinations, it's a severe mental illness. We know what is our body. You know if you are pressing your finger or not, and the head of the body is Christ. Think of the picture. It's God's congregation. He's one body, and the head of the body is Christ himself.

The power of the gospel. Oh, how do we preserve the family unit? In Hebrews we read, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

I have to tell you a story. And it means that I have to tell what I'm like. I'm not a nice man at home. I'm not a good husband. I'm weak in words, and I oftentimes offend my wife. And there was a day when I had offended her many times with my words, and I felt bad, and I thought that now I should go along my tracks and ask for the gospel. But I felt that I have spoken so evil to her that I'm not sure if she can forgive me. If I only put her into a very difficult spot by going to ask for the forgiveness, and I felt so hopeless. What do I do now? I need the gospel, and I know that I have offended her, I've gone against her. I should go and ask for the gospel, but I had already had to ask for the gospel so many times that very same day, that I thought that she cannot forgive me anymore. What do you do? I went and asked that if I would ask for the gospel, could you think that you could forgive me this one more time? And she said, "What do you mean? Of course." And I said to her that the enemy has spoken to me, that you cannot forgive me anymore. Could you please say it aloud, that even the enemy will hear it? And she said it. She said, "I will forgive you every time when you come to ask for the gospel." And it felt so sweet. And she wanted to hear the same thing. She said that, "Could you please say me the same thing?" And I said, and I almost could hear the enemy gulp. It was a very dry gulp. He was not happy at all. And we felt so good that we made another agreement. We said it aloud to the information of the enemy of the souls, that we will never stop asking forgiveness from one another. And we said it both to one another.

And boy, have I needed this. I need gospel very much. I have to admit, I'm a sinner, and I'm very weak at home. I try to behave myself here, but I'm not a good husband. I prayed to God many times that I could be a little better for her sake, because she would deserve a better husband. But maybe that's God's way to keep me humble. Well, I'm not saying that it's God's will that I hurt my wife so many times. They are my mistakes, they are my faults. They are not God's fault. God doesn't want that. But let's read this again: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." God's will is that we boldly can go and ask for the gospel when we are in the need of grace. It's God's will, because we need it. Without that, we will never make it to heaven.

Is it not our prayer and wish? So our prayer and wish is the same with Joshua. "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And when the children were small, I could say it, that I and my family will serve the Lord. Now, when we have children who have given up their faith, I cannot say it anymore, but I sure pray and hope that they would also. But we have many believing children, and we're thankful for that. But I want to serve the Lord. I want to make it to heaven. That is my wish and hope.

Dear brothers and sisters, now, I guess I spoke too long, but, well, that's-- I cannot undo it. May God bless your homes and families and your home life with forgiveness, with that heart and mind that you want to believe and that you want to forgive. To forgive does not mean that you say those words from your lips only. It means that you... Those words start from your heart, and you let go. If your spouse or any other person has done something against you, you let it go. You don't hold it, that you can throw it back to them one day. That is being tried, especially at home. We hurt one another, but if we store them, freeze-dry them, and put in the shelf in order to use against them, "Oh, yeah, that's what you did on September twenty-fifteen. I think it was the third day. You said it the same thing to me." That's wrong. You have not forgiven them. Forgiveness means that you let it go, permanently. It's gone. It never comes back. And that, you love it if you are the bigger sinner. You are the beneficiary if you are the bigger sinner in the family. You love that deal. It's a good deal for you. But if you start feeling that I'm the better one in the family, then it's harder to forgive. And that's same in God's congregation. If we lose our natural will to forgive our brothers and sisters, we are the problem, not the brothers and sisters. Forgiveness starts from the heart, and that is the treasure of God's kingdom, and that's the power of God.

So dear brothers and sisters, uplift your hearts and believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. Be of good cheer. It's God's will that we believe our sins forgiven and receive strength from that to continue one more step, one more step, one more step. And the day comes when we don't need to take any more steps, when we reach our destination. Can I believe my sins forgiven? I want to believe together with you.