Me? Submit to Him? Submission in the New Testament

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In response to questions I received concerning the biblical model of submission, I recently read again what the Bible teaches on this important principle. One of my favorite books on Christian manhood also has some succinct and well thought out answers as well. It is titled Point Man by Steve Farrar. He found out from scholars what the term submission means from a biblical viewpoint. This model is found in Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1, and 1 Timothy 2:11. Feel free to look these verses up and give your input.

Some folks who reject the idea that God has assigned men and women differing roles – that is, those in the "egalitarian" camp – have attempted to show that the Greek word translated "head" should be translated "source." If this is the case, then the husband is not primarily responsible to God for family decisions.

Dr. Wayne House points out The textual difficulty for such a view: "some feminists go to great links to argue that to be one's "head" means to be one' s"source." Based on this, the text supposedly teaches that Christ is the source of the man, the man is a source of the woman, and God is the source of Christ

The inescapable problem with this view however is that the meaning for head is questionable. There is no clear example of the Greek word for head meaning source during the times the writing in the New Testament, nor any example of the new testament reasonably translated this way. It is a forced, artificial definition of a New Testament word, adopted to support a predetermined interpretation."

 (Point Man, Steve Farrar; 1990, Multnomah Press, pp. 261-64)

Whatever you think about submission when it comes to women to their husbands, be aware that whatever you think will impact not only your relationship your husband, but also to your Lord, and your children. We must be careful to listen and respond to the wisdom and knowledge of God, remembering what He created marriage for: to remind us of the Son's relationship to His Father, and the church's relationship to their Lord, Jesus Christ.

Respectfully submitted,

Trey Rhodes

Ladies, You Can Impact Your Marriage

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Often, ladies come to me for counsel and ask what they can do to best impact their marriage. These women are godly and have a heart for God. They attend church, have devotions, and see that their children are raised for Jesus Christ. They really want to know what they can do to make the marriage the best possible. What I say next is usually not what they are expecting to hear. They want me to tell which verse to memorize or some technique I have up my sleeve that can get their husband to church more often. but, what God wants is not technique, but lifestyle. It's what 1 Peter shares in the first part of chapter 3:

In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Your beauty should not consist of outward things [like] elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, [it should consist of] what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes. For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming. (1 Peter 3:1-6 HCSB)

In our society of egalitarianism and feminism, these words can seem foreign. I think so many have written off these word that even claim the name of Christ. When it comes to Scripture, that is always a dangerous way to live. These last few blogs (Men Pt. 1, Men Pt. 2) have been uncomfortable for many of us men as well. God has never promised us comfort. His top priority in our lives are holiness and godliness.

So, then what does God want from a godly, holy woman? I have taken the opportunity to use some of what Elizabeth George shared in her book, A Wife after God's Own Heart (This is from Chap. 2, "Working Together as a Team", you can get your own e-copy copy here.

So, what does God look for from a wife who wants to impact her husband?

A wife helps her husband - In fact we might say this is why God created a wife for Adam, the first man. When God surveyed his remarkable handiwork on day six of creation, one more thing was needed. As the Bible reports, "Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, into every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:20. "And the Lord God said it is not good that man should be alone I will make him a helper comparable to him." In other words, man needed someone could share man's responsibilities, respond to his nature with understanding and love. She could wholeheartedly cooperate with him in working out the plan of God for their lives. The result was Eve, the first woman was the helper God created for Adam. She was God solution for man's need for a helper and a companion.

A wife submits to her husband - This makes sense after learning that the husband is to lead in the marriage. If someone (God says the husband) is to lead in the marriage, then someone (God says the wife) must follow. Here's how God expresses it: "Wise, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord as is fitting in the Lord be submissive to your own husbands." This means wives must adapt himself to their husbands leadership and their way of leading.

As an aside, don't you think it's interesting to know that God did not tell husbands to lead? No, this communication was with wives, letting you know that you should follow your husband's leadership. It cannot be a demand from her husband.

For a separate treatment of this topic of biblical submission, see this article

A wife respects her husband - God instructs, "let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Ephesians 5:33). A Christian life is to "reverence" and respect, praise, and honor her husband. This is honoring. A sense of awe ought to come over you when you see your husband.

I would like to take am moment and share what my wife, Kelly, shared with me when I was doing research. I wanted to know what it means to her when she shows me respect. For her, it is not being a doormat, it is so much more. Her respect for me flows out or her deep love and trust for me. I could not have asked for a better biblical model for a godly wife. Thank the Lord for our 30 years together.

She told me that respect has to do with things like:

• She seeks my opinion
• She wants to know my advice
• She supports decisions
• She longs to be with me
• She shows me affection
• She doesn't put me down, especially in front others.

This is the kind of wife God is looking for. this is the kind of wife a husband longs for.

A wife loves her husband - Here's where the fun begins! Married women are "to love their husbands" (Titus 2:4). In other words, wives are to be affectionate and treat husbands in a loving manner – two cherish and enjoy our husbands as a best friend!

Finally...
A wife enjoys her husband - And here is where the fun continues. The Bible says in first Corinthians 7:4, 5 "A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. Do not deprive one another." The one thing that God told us to do and we have ever even try to attempt to keep was multiply and replenish the earth. Isn't it a shame that men and women who adhere to this world's system have decided that this part of the relationship is somehow not as great if you're married? May I say, THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE!

Ladies, God designed this part of your marriage to be exquisite. Throughout the Bible, from the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament, to the book of Hebrews (13:4), God tells us that this part of the relationship is wonderful and enjoyable. Guilt should never enter in, because God said that you are to have a marriage that is undefiled. In other words, make sure that your marriage bed is exclusive territory reserved only for your husband. Otherwise, guilt will destroy your relationship. So, there ya' go... that's the only restriction you have a closed marriage bed except for your husband. God is telling you to have fun and enjoy yourself. When that happens, I have to wonder why you would ever deprive one another (1 Corinthians 7:5).

Ladies, I can't force you, only encourage you, find fulfillment and joy as a wife for your husband. You will never regret it. He will rise up and call you blessed and praise you (Proverbs 31:28)

Honoring wives everywhere,

Pastor Trey Rhodes

Suicide, a Hellish Answer to the Problems of Life

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Just recently, the head of a well-respected Christian ministry was found dead. It was determined after the coroner's report that he had died by his own hand. Once again, questions are being asked as to whether suicide is the unpardonable sin. This has been debated throughout the centuries, but most people that believe it is the unpardonable sin do so without Scriptural proof.

There are many verses that refer to sin, and many that refer to forgiveness. There are even verses that speak of certain sins that are unpardonable, but there is no definitive verse that even can be construed to teach that suicide is somehow unpardonable.

Two of the most well-known characters in the Bible that committed suicide are Saul, the king of Israel and Judas, the son of perdition. Let's take one at a time.

King Saul - Saul was at the end of his reign and had disobeyed the Lord several times over. Finally, his last act as a king was to fight the Philistines in a no-win situation from an un-advantageous location. During the battle, he was mortally wounded. In order to not give his opponents the satisfaction of capturing him alive and torturing him, he fell on his sword and died. He committed suicide. (Read for yourself in 1 Chronicles 10). Just before the battle, Saul inquired of a medium, we know as the witch of Endor, in complete rebellion againt God's Law. Samuel was called upon and God brought Samuel back to tell Saul these chilling but enlightening words:

The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the LORD will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines. (1 Samuel 28:19, HCSB)

Remember, Samuel is dead. Samuel knows God. Samuel is in paradise. Saul was told by Samuel that he would be with him the very next day in spite of his suicide. In the Old Testament, it doesn't seem to indicate that suicide is the unpardonable sin.

Judas Iscariot - Now, let's get to the suicide of Judas. The explanation goes this way: Judas was a disciple of Jesus. Judas was called the son of "perdition" which means "eternal damnation" (John 17:12). Jesus said that it would have been better had he never been born (Mark 14:21). Therefore, according to those who say suicide is the unpardonable sin, he went to eternal damnation because of his suicide. However, his damnation was more about his betrayal of the Son of God rather than a suicide. Once he committed to do the heinous act, Satan himself entered him to accomplish the task and see it through to the end (John 13:2). There is no where in Scripture where a believer is possessed by Satan. Judas never was a believer. To assure we knew that, we are told that he was even robbing the ministry's money chest for his own personal gain (John 12:4-6).

Now, as far as sin is concerned, where does suicide fall? It is a horrible sin. It is a hellish sin. It is a self-centered, narcissistic sin. It is a horrible way to solve problems; it only throws their problems onto the shoulders of those who loved the self-murderer most. That is why it is such a hellish sin. Ultimately, it causes the one who commits suicide to take the place of God, who alone is to have the power over life and death. God loves life and is the God of life. God has such disdain for death that He changed the description of death for New Testament believers from "death" to "fall asleep." Death was overcome for every believer when Jesus rose from the dead.

So, what is the unpardonable sin? Jesus said that every sin man committed would be forgiven him... Adultery? Yes. Fornication? Yes. Murder. Yes. Drunkeness? Yes. Lying? Yes. Suicide? Yes. You name it and God will forgive it. The only sin is that is unpardonable is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10; Mark 12:32). In its simplest terms, that means those who have rejected the leading of the Holy Spirit to come to the Son of God for their forgiveness. They have refused to trust Him to forgive them of their sin. The good news is, while there's life there's hope. The unpardonable sin will only be unpardonable to those who refuse to believe in the name of the Son of God and die in their sins.

Hallelujah, what a Savior! Do you know Him? Then your sin are forgiven, and He says enter into the joys of My Kingdom. That's how much He loves us. He died for us when we were still sinners. All our sins, past, present, and future are forgiven.

After all, I'm only assured heaven by His forgivenness and grace,

Pastor Trey Rhodes

 

Omelet Follow-Up

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Well, the blog has gone crazy with all you finding out the secret to an easy omelet. I've even got some pictures I'm posting of your well-manicured omelets for all to see.

If you have a pic of your omelet, I'll post it on my blog as well if you send it to me. Come back and take a look if you want to see yours. Tweet it to @grhodesiii, Facebook it to George Trey Rhodes or just send it to me by email: grhodes3@gmail.com.

In the mean time, here's a couple of beautiful omelets for you to feast your eyes on.

Addie's

Ivey's...and beautiful photography to boot!

Both of them look delish! Thinkin' it's omelet time tomorrow morning! Won't that be "egg-squisite!"?

Trey Rhodes

Go here for original EASY and beautiful OMELET instructions

Battlefield Instructions for Men, Pt. 2

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WW II GI's Surrounded by the Fog of War

We live in a world where spiritually and morally, these same disorienting type things continue to demand our attention. We can be swayed easily, go the wrong direction, and do what we never thought we would do. That is why battlefield instructions are so important. That is why we must have a plan before we take that first step onto the battlefield we call life. Choosing to be a one woman man will radically transform your life. That kind of life begins with our eyes and moves to every part of our body. It's why the Bible exhorts us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (See Romans 12:1). Because our eyes begin the process, make sure you read Part 1 of this blog to get the clear ("crystal, sir!") instructions for a man's battle for purity.

3 additional ways we prepare for battle:

Choose to be faithful with your lips - A man committed to his wife is no flirt. He doesn't play junior high games with other women. He doesn't kid roundabout being interested in someone else. He doesn't make jokes about getting together with other women. Such jesting comes under the umbrella of having a few harmless laughs. But some things are off-limits...marriage is one of them. Marriage is sacred and holy. It's should never be reduced to a joke at your wife's expense or to the detriment of that relationship.

Choose to be faithful with your hands - Remember when you were a child and your mother used to say keep your hands to yourself? I remember, it was usually after I had whopped or irritated my brother. Keep your hands to yourself is a great piece of advice if you want to be ready for battle. It's like preventative maintenance. It keeps you prepared to fight the war. Be careful how you touch the opposite sex. Why be careful? Because you're committed to one woman. And that is Semper Fidelis...being always faithful.

It would do us all well to look at 1 Corinthians 7 together:

Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:1, 2 NASB)

There's nothing wrong with a hug. Many times it comes from the purest of motives. But next time you think about hugging a woman, and you're not sure about your motives, then don't. So if you want to hug somebody, the best thing to do is go find your wife.

Choose to be committed with your feet - 1 Corinthians 6:18 says it flat out: "flee from sexual immorality." That's how a man prepared to battle for puriity deals with movies, magazines, videos, internet, or any situation he finds himself in that is counterproductive to marriage commitment. He flees.

The problem is is that most men who flee temptation usually leave a forwarding address.… That won't cut it if you're going to win this battle. A one-woman man doesn't hang around to check out a pornographic magazine for its "artistic value." He doesn't hesitate to walk out of a movie that violates his value system. He takes the lead in turning off the TV or the DVD or the computer or the smart phone or the iPad when it's inappropriate. That's what it means to flee. Feet to demonstrate your commitment.

Let me finish with these words of insight that should help you understand why our eyes, minds, lips, hands, and feet are so important to winning.

If we are going to protect ourselves from the epidemic of adultery, we must understand the process that leads to adultery. David sinned with his eyes, his mind, his lips, and his hands before he ever hit the sheets with Bathsheeba. David had already lost the battle before that moment of pleasure. Adultery did not begin with physical contact. That horrible, destructive act began with a glance that turned into a gaze that became an obsession and finally an act of willful disobdience (Read more in 2 Samuel 11). It was an act that nearly destroyed all the good David had done for the kingdom.

You see, adultery does not begin with the act, it begins with the mind. And the Man begins with his commitment to his wife each day will be a man of holiness and a lethal weapon in the hands of God.

This presentation is from puritycoalition.org. God, give us clean hands, give us pure hearts!



There is hope and we can win!

Pastor Trey Rhodes


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Battlefield Instructions for Men, Part 1

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Do you have your battlefield plans?

In order to be able to fight in the battle, you've got to have a plan. Whether it's in the streets of Fallujah or the halls of your home, you must know what you need to do to win. These principles apply to the married man or the single man. We all need help winning this battle. So, with these things in mind, let's take a look at some choices you can make starting today.

Choose to Be Committed with Your Eyes - In the Bible, Job put it this way: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." Job 31:1. Job is making a commitment to a special kind of blind love. That is Semper Fidelis. Note that the Bible doesn't say that we must never notice a woman. It says that we are not to look lustfully at a woman. Good-looking girls and women are everywhere. You can't help but see them. There is a difference, however, between seeing a beautiful woman and lusting after her. Just point is simply this: there is a difference between a look and a lustful look. Note the words of the Message translation, which is really is a scripturally blunt definition of LUST:

Keeping your eyes focused on Jesus...

"never to undress a girl with my eyes." (Job 31:1, MSG)

Here's what I'm saying, a man who is committed with his eyes will avoid certain kinds of magazines, television programs, and shows that are offered in a hotel room when you could possibly be hundreds of miles from your wife and kids. Train your eyes to appreciate beauty rather than cause you to stumble.

Jesus said that if our eye offends us, pluck it out. That means that men must take extreme measures like removing themselves from a situation. Do you really need a TV in your hotel room? Could you bring someone with you on overnight trips? Should you avoid the new stands in the airport on trips? Whatever it is, if we are going to win this battle, we must get extreme.

Do you remember a man named Dick Butkus? He is truly a legend. There has never been anyone so extreme or sold out to his task of stopping running backs in the history of football. He bit, hit, punched, slapped, fought, and slammed his adversaries into the ground to stop them. It's time we got Dick Butkus extreme with our eyes if we want to be the kind of men God wants us to be.

'Nuff Said

Choose to Be Committed with Your Mind - It was Oscar Wilde he said, "I can resist anything except temptation." Do you ever feel like that?

Here's God's take on the situation found in 2 Corithians 10:3-5:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We can't stop bad thoughts from entering our mind, that's temptation. It is not wrong to be tempted. Jesus was tempted but never sinned. The ideas that we must fight are those tempting ideas that want to run our life. Those must be brought to obey Christ instead of our flesh. Learn to sift through the wrong ideas and take them captive to Christ. Tranform the temptation into an opportunity to win. Tha happens with Bible study as we engraft our hearts with His Word. (Go here for some simple but effective memory verses)

Bill Hull (author of The Disciple-making Pastor) writes that a man "must know the Bible well enough, through study, to fight temptation and protect himself against the ideas and philosophies of the world. He is confronted daily with thousands of messages and ideas. A biblical defense system must sort out the ideas, take what is obedient to Christ, and reject what is not."

The point is this: learning to deal with your thought life is the spiritual equivalent of learning to dribble with your left hand. It is work to learn, and you will not be successful at first. You'll feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and frustrated. You'll begin to think you'll never make progress. But slowly and surely you will develop a new habit. It doesn't come easy, but what worth-while habit does? You'll be developing a new pattern of thinking. If it's something that you've been doing for 25 years, you're not going have it down in a few weeks. It will take time and effort and perserverance, but it can be done.

It's high time we all quit making excuses and run to the battle!

More tomorrow that will help you win your battles.

Pastor Trey Rhodes

For the complete podcast, go to Being a One Woman Man and a Loving Wife

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A Few Good Men

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Your family in Fallujah...on patrol?

I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies previously made about you, so that by them you may strongly engage in battle, having faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and have suffered the shipwreck of their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19, HCSB)

We live in a world where men have chosen the easy way. But, those Men who think that life is simple and can coast through it are just fooling themselves. The proof of that last statement is validated by simply reading the newspaper or watching the latest network or local news report.

As a general rule, men are horrible examples. And it seems to me that men who should have the most responsibility to lead us, are the ones who tend to disappoint us the most. I wish I could say that it was only men from a certain line of work, like a politician, who blow it. But it's just not that way. There seems to be just as many "religious men" that fall with increasing regularity.

Has it always been that way? I guess you could make an argument for that. But, it seems that now more than ever, men are taking a backseat when it comes to living upright, clean, and moral lives. Is it really any wonder that we see the next generation tripping and stumbling like blind men without a lead? Examples of good lifestyles are few and far between, especially when it comes to men. Men, let me say this, "These things ought not be!" You see, we live in a war zone. Not a war zone of bullets and bombs, but a war zone that is after the lives of our own families.

I have been reading a book once again called Point Man by Steve Farrar. He was talking about welcoming us to a war zone. Let me read a little bit for you:

"On this particular day, you would give anything not to be here. For you are going out on patrol. You've been on patrol before, but today is different, and that's why there's a knot in your gut and and icy fear in your heart.

"Today is different because the patrol leader has appointed you to be 'point man' point. In essence, you're the leader. Everyone else will fall behind you. And as you move out to encounter the enemy, you realize that the survival of those seven men stepping cautiously behind you will depend upon just one thing: your ability to lead. Your judgment may determine whether they live or die. The responsibility hangs over your head like the suffocating humidity and anxiety in the air."

Then it happened:

"You never saw it coming. The violent shock and utter surprise of gunfire momentarily paralyzes you, despite your 'instant reaction' training. Before you can respond, a bullet tears through your flesh and explodes the bone in your leg. 1000 thoughts instantly floods your mind: Am I going to die? Where are the shots coming from? Is there more than one? Will I lose my leg? Where's the patrol leader?

 "One glance...tells you that the family of the patrol leader is now fatherless. You're trying to determine what to do next, just what is the situation? What are we up against?

"Two other men beside the patrol leader were hit. One is dead, the other bleeding profusely."

"Men ought to pray always..."

Ah, you say, but such are the perils of war, so let's change the scenario slightly. Yes, you're still in battle, on patrol, in the same battlefield, but something about the patrol is different.
Imagine now... you're leading your family. This time it's not your patrol behind you but "you see your wife and your children following behind. Your little girl is trying to choke back tears, and your boy is trying to act brave. Your wife is holding the baby and trying to keep him quiet. On this patrol, you don't want to engage the enemy, you want to avoid him." He continues:

"What would you be feeling under such conditions? The survival of each member of your family – and his survival as a whole – would completely depend upon your ability to lead through the maze of possible ambushes, unseen booby-traps, invisible snipers, and all the extraordinary hazards of combat."

It might sound far-fetched, but the reality is that we are in a war. And it is a war that we must win for our wive's and children's sake. It is a battle and we seem to be outnumbered, but it can be won. You can win.

Men, will you choose to make a difference today?

In the battle with you,
Pastor Trey Rhodes

Don't miss Part 2 tomorrow for Battlefield Instructions


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