Welfare: A Ministry of Family Government

Recently we had the opportunity to watch the Persiod meteor shower from the beach after sunset. There were some amazing sights; a meteor drew a tail a quarter of the way across the night sky.  This reminded me of the great power of our mighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. It also reminded me that the Creation obeys the Laws of the Creator.

Before viewing the meteor shower, we attended a presentation from NASA about what we were going to be viewing. It provided amazing facts the details of which boggle the mind. The planets, stars and meteors all obey His commands, the thunderstorms follow His commands. It is only man in his folly that refuses to obey the Creator’s commands – and we always do so to our own detriment. We were created to obey, we are always better off when we obey. Last week we began talking about God’s design for Family government. And when His commands are followed everyone in the whole society is far better off.

Marriage – The Inauguration of a new Family Government – the importance of recognizing the newly married couple is now a separate family government from that of their parents. Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

The license to marry comes not from civil government but from the head of the God ordained family government – from the father. By the way, if pastors were to comply with God’s standard of marriage licensing, this whole brouhaha would never have happened. Pastors would never have married people using a marriage licenses in the first place. I will not marry anyone with a state marriage license and I repent of having done so in the past when I was ignorant of these facts in the Word of God.

Raising Children

The responsibility and authority lays with the parents, not the state, for their discipline and their upbringing.

Education

Family government is responsible and is the authority regarding the education of the children which God has entrusted to them.

Elder Care

Grown children have the responsibility to care for their parents till death takes them from this world. When the state interferes with any or all of this God ordained plan, it is to the determent of us all.

Now in this next installment, I’d like to take up the subject that directly relates to Elder Care and that is welfare in a society, caring for and ministering to the poor. We have abundant Scriptures exhorting us to this work. But let us note carefully to whom this exhortation is made and ask ourselves is it made to civil, church or family government? Ministry to the poor is important but the vital question is, who is responsible and who has authority?

• Welfare – 1 Timothy 5
• v3-8 “Honour widows that are widows indeed. 4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. 5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. 8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Note word “requite” their parents. That is grown children are to work diligently to repay their parents for all the service their parents have shown to them in raising them, supplying their needs and overseeing their younger years. If grown children refuse to care for their aged parents, they are worse than an infidel. So quite clearly this exhortation is made to family government.

Those considered for financial help in the church are only widows that have no family to care for them. Note that more than their own offspring are to be considered here, even the sons of their siblings, nephews, are to be required to take care of their widowed aunt.

Why would it only be widows? First, if a woman were never married, she would be the responsibility of her father, or if he passed on, her father’s estate. If she were married, she is the responsibility of her husband, but if he is dead, then of her sons or nephews. So welfare is first and foremost a ministry belonging to family government, and look at who is excluded from this financial ministry to widows. Obviously all males, all unmarried, and all widows who don’t meet the strict criteria laid out here.

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Rev. David Whitney has been teaching the Christian heritage and history of our country with Institute on the Constitution for over a decade where he serves as Senior Instructor, and Radio show host on Dr. Stan Monteith’s Radio Liberty. Whitney is an Honors Scholar graduate from Rutgers University with a Masters Degree from Denver Seminary. A minister for 32 years, he is currently the Pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church of Pasadena, Maryland. As a member of the clergy, an activist and radio personality, Whitney has appeared in Washington Times, on Voice of America, Fox, ABC, NBC, CSPAN, BBC, and more.

David Whitney

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