Hath God said? -

A faithful man of God named Phil Lancaster is the husband of one wife, father of six children, elder in church, and a major player in the Biblical manhood movement. Otherwise stated, he has my respect and attention. In a book written by Lancaster, Family Man, Family Leader, we are given a mark of a true revival, "returning to God's Word, the Bible, as the source of wisdom for how to live in a way that is pleasing to God." It is important that we give careful attention to this "mark" because many so-called revivals are built on emotionalism, or at best, a weak view of the Bible's application to our lives in this day. Lancaster goes on to say, "There are not many evangelical Christians who read Scripture with regularity, much less spend time in serious study of the Book and how to apply it to daily life...There is a lack of knowledge about what the Bible actually teaches...This ignorance of God's Word is evident specifically when it comes to understanding what it means to be a man and how exactly a father should turn his heart toward his family."

So...we must "embrace the Bible as the sole standard for what to believe and how to live."

The book of 2 Samuel, in the 7th chapter, records a mistake on David's part. He realizes that while he lives in a sturdy house, the ark of God was dwelling in a tent. He cared so much about God and wanted to serve him well, so he decided it would be a good idea to build a sturdy house for the ark of God. But God spoke through the prophet Nathan and rebuked David for relying on his own ideas for how God ought to be served. "Have I ever spoken a word...saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'" says the Lord. There are so many accounts of people in the Scriptures who should have known to live according to the revealed will of God, yet they failed. Samson, a Nazirite to God, disregarded God's instructions and was killed. Uzzah thought he was doing good when he disobeyed God, yet he aroused the anger of the Lord. Lot's wife may have had a genuine concern for the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but when she turned back in disobedience to God, she died.

We must do what God says even when others call us foolish. We should have "a longing to discover the will of God, repentance for failures to conform to His will, and a determination to put His will into practice at all costs."

Anyone interested in Family Man, Family Leader should click HERE.