Patchwork Cottage - Reposting - Contraversial Post

Patchwork Cottage

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
-Theodore Roosevelt

Apr. 7, 2009

Reposting - Contraversial Post

Posted in Single Moms as Keepers at Home

I posted this earlier, quite, "off the cuff" which almost always lands me in trouble. I realized that in so doing, many things may have been unclear and disconnected. So, I"m going to go in and add some clarification. The original post parts are in normal print and my edits are added here in italics.

I recently had a conversation with one Christian homeschooling mom, regarding No Greater Joy and whether or not Mr. Pearl was correct in his recent 3 part series on Patriarchal Families. We came to no agreement. Actually, it wasn't a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. We were just talking about whether he was right or wrong and we both felt that there were some points that were good and maybe some we didn't totally agree with. The conversation came up because another friend stopped reading NGJ over this. I was a little concerned over this, because I have always liked NGJ, but didn't want to be reading/believing something that was way off base. Since I don't have a husband, I often defer to other Christian homeschooling moms that I feel are well grounded in scripture.

This led to a great discussion on people who follow men instead of God. The point my friend and I reached was that the real danger is not in what Mr. Pearl did or didn't say, but in who we are following. Are we following men? Or are we following the Lord, because men, all of them, are just human beings, sinful creatures. When we start following someone instead of the Lord, we are in danger.

~~Today~~, Recently, another friend, on my behalf, sought counsel from both Vision Forum and John MacArthur ministries, to clarify the scriptural responsibility of the church to support myself and my children. This help was unsolicited. I am not sure when I came to the point of agreeing to disagree about whether or not a church had responsibility to my family. I actually had in recent months come to the conclusion that I have just given up on churches doing what they are called to, for the most part, and it no longer seemed like such a big deal to me.

It seems that because as I believer, I sinned and have two children ( I was never married), there is no scriptural obligation for the church to care for us.
In recent months, I had concluded that some might feel the church had a responsibility to us as widow (woman without a husband) while others did not. I was even okay with that, it really depends on how well you know Greek and Hebrew and how you read the definition in your particular concordance. But I figured at least we would qualify for help as being among the poor and needy, but apparently my sin disqualifies us from this as well.

So, ladies, this is posted to say, if I've misled you(that is, if because of me you believe that a Christian woman has child out of wedlock, that the church held some responsibility in helping you train up that child for the Lord) I am sorry. It was not my intent ever. Apparently, (according to Vision Forum and John MacArthur) the Church has no responsibility to us, if we are in difficult situations because of our own sin.

On a different note, I'm ever so grateful for those who've come along side me during this journey, especially since they didn't really have to. And I'm most grateful for the mom who called me this afternoon, upon reading my email concerning this, reminding me that NOTHING had changed that the LORD was still my provider and as long as I was following where I believed He was leading me, it didn't matter what a Church did or didn't do. Her call uplifted me. She inspired me to remember who is really in control, and why it is so important to look to the Lord and not to men.

So, single moms regardless of the stand a church may or may not take regarding you, if the Lord has called you to home educate your children for His glory, hang in there! Trust Him! (He's been trying to get me to head this message for many weeks, and today it is just starting to sink in. I once had a great deal of faith and I was willing to walk that faith. Lately my faith has been much less, and I hadn't the courage to even step out of the boat (like Peter) never mind attempting to walk on water. These conversations today have stirred me to the point where I'm about ready to step out in a much greater faith.

Praise God for the struggles that refine us and grow our faith!

Blessings, MaggieRaye

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Comments

Apr. 11, 2009 - Christian Obligation

Posted by msphyllis

Read James 1:27 which tells us about "pure religion." It is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. The scripture does not specify how the children became fatherless--only about what needs to be done on their behalf.

Be encouraged, Maggie, and know that the Body of Christ is also divided on how to treat the children of divorced women--even if the women did not want the divorce. When the father abandons his wife and children, the children are still fatherless, but it seems, that many could care a less, blame the woman, and treat the woman and her children like second class children of God.

However, God has no second class children, and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. God remains your and your children's Jehovah-Jireh and Jesus is still Lord.

Phyllis

Edited by msphyllis on Apr. 11, 2009 at 1:54 PM

• Permanent Link