8 Questions Every Christian Family Should Ask Themselves - Mar Mari Emmanuel

0:01 We've been, since last Friday, we started talking about the Christian family. And if we can have the title. Last Friday, under the title of the Christian family, we said, is it a little church or just a house? And we spoke in depth and in details how the Christian family should be that little church, not just a house. And we said that God created all of us in His image according to His likeness. And since we are created in His image, God in Himself, He is the family.

0:44 God revealed Himself to humanity in history that He is the Father, He is the Son, He is the Holy Spirit. He is Trion. He is not just one unit, but He is three persons in one nature, in one essence. God the Father, The Father loves the Son. The Son is in the bosom of His Father. And the Holy Spirit is the spirit of communion based on love. Therefore, since God is love, He created everything based on this true divine love. And the very first thing God revealed His love was in the family. The very first thing God established on earth was a family. He did not start the sacred history of humanity by building a nation, by building a temple or a city. He established a family. Why?

1:41 Because this love can only exist in a family. It cannot exist anywhere else. The foundation of it, it has to start in a family. And we've said this before and I'll say it again. The issue of the Western world, the entire Western world, you want to call it Australia, you want to call it America, you want to call it Canada, you want to call it Europe. The Western world's problem is one thing. They have walked away from family bond and family value. The Western world's focus is on one thing, individualism. It is all about you. You can do whatever you want. You can go wherever you want.

2:34 You can dress up in whichever way you want. You are free. And in the name of this freedom democracy, enslaved the individual. And we said, loneliness is not a psychological problem. Because when we are lonely, we feel depressed, we feel anxious, we run to the doctor. And don't get me wrong, with all love and respect, I respect all the doctors. God bless them all. Definitely those who are doing it from the heart, you know. But God bless them and touch their heart always. And enlighten their intellect always and their hearts. But it's not about I'm feeling lonely, I'm feeling depressed, I'm feeling anxious, I'm going to go and see doctors. A doctor, I'm going to go and see a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and let's pop

3:27 some pills down the throat. No, the issue and the foundation to our depression is not a psychological problem. It is definitely a theological problem. Why? Because the Western world brainwashed us to live for ourselves. God never intended for no human being to live alone. For no human being to think alone. For no human being to walk alone.

4:00 For no human being to be alone. In fact, after God creating Adam, came straight after that. Straight after that. He said, it is not good for Adam to be alone. It is not good. Why? Because Adam, I created you according to my image. And who is God? Tryon, family. So the image of God is family. Therefore, no human was created to be alone. And the moment we become alone, living for ourselves, doing things for ourselves, we end up being selfish. Selfishness leads you to depression. Selflessness leads you to absolute joy and prosperity. That was last week. Today, under that Christian family title, when Christ is the center of this family, let's see what happens. How the presence of the Lord Jesus changes the relationship between husband and wife,

5:14 parents and children, children and their parents. When Christ enters that family, He changes the relationship between the husband and the wife. The parents and the children, the children and the parents. And we based all of our talk and God willing next week and maybe the week after, we based it on one verse. And that is in the book of Joshua chapter 24 and verse 15. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua, son of Nun, says in his book, chapter 24, verse 15, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. In other words, the word serving, we will worship the Lord. Because if we don't worship Him, you cannot serve Him. We will worship or serve the Lord. Now, a home, first of all, a home is not walls.

6:16 It's not a building. A home is a relationship. A home is a relationship. But my beloved, the problem is when we speak about family, we often think about the house. The moment we invoke the name family, we think of the house. We think of the children's bedrooms. We think about the dining room. We think about the bills. We think about the holidays. We think about, is it a double garage or a single garage? Whose car is going to be parked in? And whose car is going to be outside under the rain, under the heat? And then we start talking about this and we say we are a family. What kind of family is that is focused on the building, not on the relationship? What kind of family is that? So now my beloved, but when the

7:10 Holy Bible speaks about the family, it does not begin with the house as walls. but it begins with that household as a relationship. You may have a beautiful house, but there may not be love in it. You may have a large house, a mansion, but there may not be relationship in it or fellowship in it. You may have a husband, a wife, children under one roof, but each one living in their own world. but they're all living under the same roof, but each to their own ways.

7:49 Their bodies are present under that roof, but their hearts are absent. Their bodies are present under that roof, but their hearts are absent. The husband for himself, the wife for herself, and the children for themselves, but they're all living under the same roof. And when they want to talk to each other, they text each other under the same roof. Yeah. Can't be bothered. I'm too tired to get up and say, Mom, can you pour me a glass of water, please? So I'm going to text her from my room. She could be in the kitchen. Mom, are you in the kitchen? Get me a glass of water.

8:26 Thank you. Bye. What makes a house a family? A question. What makes that house a family? Is it living together? Definitely not. Is it carrying the same family surnames? Sometimes we carry the same surname. Is that what makes a family? No, definitely not. Is it sharing the money, the food, the rooms together? Definitely not. That is not the essence of the family. From a biblical perspective, the family is the place where a person comes to learn the following. From a biblical perspective, A family is the place where a person comes to learn the following. Number one, who am I?

9:19 Number two, to whom do I belong? Number three, how do I love? Number four, how do I forgive? Number five, how do I serve? Number six, how do I submit myself? Number seven, how do I accept the other person? And number eight, and most importantly, how do I live before God? As a family member. Before I live before you, my dad, my mom, my brother, my sister, how am I living before the Almighty God? But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, says Joshua, son of Nun.

10:09 But notice something here when Joshua says, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Notice something extremely important in this verse. You see, Joshua, the prophet Joshua did not say, as for me and my house, we will live comfortably. He did not say that. As for me and my house, we will have no problems whatsoever.

10:33 He did not say that. As for me and my house, we will agree with one another. None of this, he said. He said, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. In other words, what Joshua son of Nun is trying to say to every Christian family, that Christian family is not absent-minded. Of problems. Just because you're a Christian, you're not going to be problem free. No, you will encounter issues. You will encounter problems as a Christian family. As believers in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. you will have frictions, tribulations as that Christian family. The problem is not having the problem, but the problem is as a Christian family, how do we deal with that problem?

11:31 That's the question we need to answer. It's not about once we have Christ in our life, it will be like a smooth sailing. No, you will encounter storms. But how do you deal with those storms when they arise? That is the question every Christian family needs to answer, my beloved. Now, first point we want to address together.

12:03 The question is not, is Christ present at home? The question is not, Is Christ present at home? But the question we need to ask. Is Christ the center of this home? Is he present? Of course. God is present everywhere. Including in your own home. So the presence of God in your home. He does it. But for God to be the center of your home. You must do it.

12:34 Not him. He will not do it. He will be present in that home. And he will wait for you as a family to make him the center of that family. If you don't do it, God will not. Therefore, God being present at home is not gonna help you. The only time it will help you when you as a family come and say, Lord, you are the center of this family. You are the head of this family. Then things will start changing in that home. Are you with me?

13:10 Are you with me? Are you sure? 100%? Well, we say the Lord Jesus is present at home. Why? Because I have a Bible. I have the Holy Bible at home. And thank God I put it on the shelf so everybody walks into the house knows it's a Christian family because there is a Bible on the shelf. Have you ever opened it and read it? No. Why should I?

13:31 It's more than enough to protect me just by being on the shelf. Well done. Collecting dust. Bravo. Bravo. Like this guy, a priest went to visit him at home. And the priest said, after five minutes, he said, Father, your visit was a huge blessing for me. I've been looking for my glasses for the last two years. Guess what?

13:54 I found the glasses in my Holy Bible. That meant he never opened the Holy Bible for two years. The last time he had it open was two years ago. So well done. Don't leave your glasses in the Holy Bible and say, Father, I found him after two years. It's scary. You better find the glasses every day and open that Holy Bible every single day and start reading.

14:17 Start reading. You may say, I have a cross hanging in front of me. at the front, at the entry of the house. You may say, I go to church and I attend the Holy Mass service. I attend Bible preaching. I'm a Christian family. I celebrate all the festive seasons. Nativity, the birth of the Lord. I go on the Epiphany, the baptism of the Lord. I go on the Sunday resurrection.

14:42 Isn't that a Christian family? I attend church services. But the question remains, is Christ the center Of the family or not. It's not about attending the church. Only. That solves the problem. You need to make Christ. The center of that family. Because having Christ present. In the home. Is one thing. But making Christ the center of that home.

15:11 Is a totally different thing. My beloved. Imagine with me my beloved. There is a circle. And there is something in the center of this circle. When you place something in the center of the circle, everything else around it, it will revolve around the center. So my beloved, if the center of that family is money, everyone will be revolving around money. If the center of that family is children, the husband and wife will be talking, arguing, fighting all about children. Because whatever you place in the center, everyone and everything else will revolve around what is centered. And if the center is success, then that family becomes a project for success. If the center is a social image, if the center is comfort, if the center is comfort,

16:24 then every time we sacrifice, we have a problem. Because if everyone in that family is seeking their own comfort, no one will sacrifice. And if they do it, they will do it with complaining, whinging, fighting, arguing. And it will be like a checklist. Hey, I mowed the lawn last week. You better mow the lawn this week. I took the garbage bin out last Monday. You better take it this Monday. I cleaned. I wiped. I did. I washed the dishes. I hanged the clothes. I'm done. And if you're going to push my buttons, I'm leaving this family and I'm going my way. So if we are thinking of seeking comfort in the family, we're mistaken. We're mistaken.

17:14 We're mistaken, my beloved. If the center of that family is a social image, guess what? The whole family will revolve around one thing. What do people think of me? not God. As long as we look good before people, as long as we are a happy family before people, hey listen, when we go out to a social gathering, make sure you're all smiling and talking to each other.

17:44 Don't let nobody know that we had World War III 10 minutes ago. Don't let them know because that's going to ruin our image before people. What about God who sees everything behind the scenes, behind closed doors. Who cares how people perceive you? You better make sure God sees you, not people. Let your image be good before God. Before God, my beloved. But when Christ is the center, what happens?

18:19 The husband does not see his wife anymore as a wife only. He will see her as God's creation redeemed by the blood of Christ, and he will endeavor to do everything by his power, by the grace of the Lord, to love her the way Christ loves the church. He will not see her anymore just a wife. He will see her that she is God's creation. Redeemed by the blood of Christ. And he will do everything by his power to love her the way the Lord Jesus loves his beloved church. Which is his bride. Which is his bride.

19:06 And the wife will no longer see her husband as poor hubby hubby. But she will see him As a person in need of salvation. So I will go to him. Hold his hand. And I'll say husband. We will walk together. Toward Jesus Christ. Because that's where salvation lies. Come on hubby. I'll support you. So now the wife. Is no longer the judge. She is the servant. Is no longer the judge.

19:51 She is the servant. The other thing, when Christ is the center of the family, the parents will not see their children as their own possessions. Parents, you do not possess your children. They are A precious, priceless gift given by God and entrusted into your own hands to look after them in order to raise them for the Lord Jesus, not for yourselves. The children are not yours, they are Christ's. Parents, you do not raise your children to love you. You raise them to love the Lord and through the Lord you.

20:33 You do not teach them what you believe. what Christ wants. You do not show them your way, you show them the Lord's way. Otherwise, you will lose yourself and you lose the children that were entrusted to you by the Almighty God along the way. Therefore, my beloved, when parents deal with their children as an entrusted gift by God in their own hands, meaning, When we teach our children the love of God, the love of the Lord, not our own ways, those children will grow realizing that the parents are not that authority that I have to resist and reject. Because children, when you teach them and impose upon them certain rules, guidelines and regulations that belong to you, mom and dad, they will reject it and they will

21:34 resent that. So you don't want them to reject that authority. But rather, they will come to realize that this authority given to the parents to teach through it the children, that authority... ultimately goes back to Christ the King. It's not the parents. So when parents teach their children, they need to teach them according to what Christ says, not to what they say or think. See, Christ does not enter that family to become an additional member to it.

22:16 He won't accept that. But he wants to enter that family so that he prioritizes things in that family according to his will, not your own wills. Not your own wills. Point number two. When Christ is the center, the relationship between the husband and the wife definitely will change. Are you ready? Come on. You're sitting so quiet. I'm scared now.

22:46 Are we ready? Are we ready? When the Lord Jesus is the center of that family, the relationship between the husband and the wife definitely will change. You see St. Paul in Ephesians chapter 5. He gives this deep message to parents. It is extremely deep and it's about marriage. What does he say? To the husbands. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. Notice, my beloved, the standard of Christian marriages. St. Paul did not say husbands love your wives when things are going beautiful.

23:45 When your wife is nice to you do whatever she wants. He did not say husbands love her or love your wives when she understands you. He did not say husbands love your wives when she agrees with you. But he said Love your wife as Christ loved His beloved church. So, what is St. Paul trying to say here? Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved His beloved church. He's saying marriage is transformed from a contract of mutual benefit to a mystery of love. Covenant. The marriage is transformed from a contract to a covenant, a mystery of love.

24:43 What is a covenant? A covenant, I live for you and you live for me. I am here for you and you are here for me. We swap roles. I do things for you and you do things for me. That is a covenant. Marriage without Christ. When Christ is not the center, the question becomes... the husband will come and say, what are you going to give me now, wife?

25:15 The husband says, I work so hard, so what are you going to give me in return? We argue, you know, I do all these things for you and you never appreciate me. All these years of sacrificing and working, 10 hours, 12 hours shift, what have you done for me, wifey? It's all your problems. And the wife says, well, I take care of your children. Now notice, your children, excuse me, they are our children, not your children. So you are referring the children to be the husbands, not yours. The only time you will say they are my children when they are smart. And if they are dumb, they are like their dad exactly. So, I've been looking after your children all these years. What have you done for me?

26:05 So all of a sudden, the husband and the wife, now they have files under their armpit to open it and make that home as if it's a courtroom. A place of judgment. You did, you did. You said, you said. Your fault, my fault. I did, you didn't. pointing fingers at one another, judging one another. The home is not a court, a courthouse. It's a family. It's a family.

26:46 So marriage becomes a courtroom. But when Christ is the center, the question changes. Instead of asking questions, What are you going to give me for all the sacrifices that I have offered to you all these years? Now the husband is saying this to his wife. What are you going to give me in return? Instead of asking this question, what are you going to give me in return? He will say, how can I love you as Christ loves my beloved wife? I want to love you more and more and more. I want to give my life for you more and more and more. I want to sacrifice for you more and more and more. Because when Christ is the center, it is Christ now teaching, showing the way, leading the way and enlightening that entire family. So the

27:37 husband will not point the finger at his wife being her fault. He will point the finger at himself saying, I need to do more because she is a gift from the Lord for me. Even though she's a pain in the neck, but she's a gift. Come on, love. Come on. How can I love her as Christ loves? This is a profound theological difference. Instead of what have you done for me, what can I do for you now?

28:18 Not what have you done for me. That's the Lord when he enters that family. Third point. Christ changes the meaning of love from I feel to I give. He changes the meaning of love from I feel to I sacrifice, I offer, I give. You see, the world says, I love you because I feel love toward you. This is my feeling. I feel that I love you. That's what the world says. But the Holy Bible says, I love you because love is a choice. Number one, love is a surrender. Number two, and love is an act of self-sacrifice.

29:05 I love you not because I feel I love you. It is because I chose to love you and I chose to humble myself before you by sacrificing my life for you. That is the love in the Christian perspective. And look, Christ did not love us because we were beautiful. Not at all. St. Paul says in Romans 5, 8, he says, but God demonstrates his own love toward us.

29:34 in that while we were still sinners, ugly, not beautiful, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So the love of God for the human race, we were not worthy of it definitely. We were not beautiful enough for God to love us. We were filthy from head to toe, inside and out. And as we were that filthy, ugly looking sinners, God still loved us for giving his beloved son to die as that sacrificial lamb of God that carries away the sins of the world. Christ still died for us, yet we were absolute sinners, absolute ugly, my beloved. This is the Christian love. Love does not begin by asking, does the other person deserve my love? No.

30:29 Christian love begins by asking, what has Christ done for me? So when the husband comes, wants to love his wife, he needs to remind himself, What has Christ done for me? I need to do the same for my wife. I have sinned against Him, yet He still shows love for me. I have sold Him with 30 pieces of silver, yet He still shows love for me. I walked away from Him and denied Him, yet He still shows love for me.

31:03 The way Christ loves me, I need to do the same for my wife and the wife for her husband. The reason why we have problems at home. Marital problems, family problems. Because each one wants to prove they are right. And the other one is wrong. If the Lord wants to deal with us in this particular way. All of us will end up in hell. All of us. From the greatest to the least of all. In the heart of hell. If the Lord says... I'm right and you're wrong.

31:43 He can prove it very easily. What are we going to do? So husband, before you point the finger at your wife, don't let the Lord point his finger at you and says, grab him. He broke my law. Grab him. He sinned the other day. Don't want that. So if you don't want the Lord to point his finger at you, don't point the finger at each other. To prove who is right and who is wrong. All of us are wrong.

32:15 And all of us are right. All of us are wrong when we try to prove I'm right and you're wrong. And all of us are right when we allow Jesus Christ to be the center of the family. Amen. I'll give you an example on how World War III erupts at home sometimes. Just an example. Probably there's many of them.

32:36 But I'll give you just one. Imagine this with me. Are you ready? Those who are newly married, you can learn this. A daily example. The husband comes back from work exhausted beyond. He was stretched that extra mile at work. Extremely exhausted. The wife happened to be on that particular day extremely exhausted as well. And then The children made a huge mess at home. She's pulling her hair out. Frustrated, doesn't know what to do. She's had enough. She's going to walk away from everything and everyone. And the husband walks in grumpy, like bad day, miserable day at work.

33:27 Everything going wrong under the sun. And then the children made mess everywhere. There is no food prepared because the wife didn't have the time. Didn't feel like cooking anything. She's had enough. So she cooked nothing. The husband has come back hungry, empty. The tank is empty. He is starving, thinking that there's going to be a table ready with beautiful food. He enters absolute misery from morning till that evening.

33:57 And then the phone rings and then she says, pick up the phone. He says, I'm too tired. You pick up the phone. And then the children are screaming and yelling at each other. And then the husband goes to the kitchen bench and he sees a ton of bills to be paid. Because she put him there as a present for her hubby. You know, and I'll open him like, you know, those cards, you know, when they open them like that's so beautiful, you Colorful, you know, club of spade and all these numbers in there, everything. This one 300, this one is 500. Yes, you use electricity too much.

34:32 It's all your fault. So the pressure builds up. Everyone is under pressure. Everyone is under pressure. And then the moment where the war erupts. The wife or the husband, one of the two, points the finger at the other person who is already about a volcano to go boom. This is you. You never do anything for me when I need you. This is you. You never do anything.

35:15 You know when we are angry and stressed to the brim, to the core, We generalize in our conversation. We don't specify. This is you. You never ever done anything good. Come on, hubby. Come on, wife. You are not right here. You cannot be this extreme. He must have done some things right along the way. He can't be all wrong from head to toe. But I'm under pressure. That's it. I feel like talking this way. You've got a problem? Bash your head against the wall. I don't care. So this is you.

35:53 You never do anything for me. You never help me. I'm more tired than you. Stop saying I'm tired. I'm tired too. And the husband and the wife begin collecting files from previous years. And definitely the wife is a master of this. My son, piece of advice. If you want to open past files, you are going to the wrong place. And you don't want to open that door because you will never hear the end of it. The moment you start saying to her, you did this to me yesterday, she will say to you, and you said this and this and this and did this and this.

36:39 Not yesterday, 1914. You know, when World War I began, that's what you said and that's what you did. And don't ever think I'll forget that. So don't start it with me, mister. Do you want me to open more files? Yes. It is all saved in the clouds. The iCloud. I have an iPhone connected to the iCloud. You want me to retrieve it? It's not, that's my iPhone. I have my own iPhone as a wife. I have my own iCloud.

37:21 My iCloud is never full. You want me to open? I can retrieve it all. I can retrieve it all. You see, the wife, the woman is influenced by feelings and emotions. The husband is influenced by logic. Logic to somewhat degree is dumb. And feelings and emotions to somewhat degree is a pain in the neck. Because logic will come and say one plus one equals two. Duh. It is short and sweet. The husband, the most stretched memory is like five minutes ago. You ask me what happened prior to the five minutes? I don't recall nothing. I only remember five minutes ago. The wife is feelings and emotions.

38:20 Feelings and emotions, it's all about touching, feeling, smelling. Yes, I feel good about it. So the wife... absorbs, absorbs everything. The words you say, the expressions on your face, every detail she absorbs it. So when you hit the wrong button, she releases everything. The husband, you ask him after a 14-hour shift, walks into the house. How was your day, honey?

38:56 All right. One word. Anything else? No. No recollection? No. You ask the wife after a five-hour shift, how was your day? Honey, you have no idea. You know, when I woke up this morning, I had a bad nightmare. And then I woke up I dragged myself to work and then when I got to work this guy did not say hello to me and the manager was kind of turned off and you have no idea this guy fell in the in the workplace and we called an ambulance and I missed out on lunch honey I am hungry I am starving I forgot to call my mom I forgot to call my cousin I forgot to buy this I forgot to do this I forgot honey I just asked you how was your day please I don't want the life story So the wife will tell you everything. Everything.

39:54 And the problem, the husband starts fighting with his wife. Why are you talking too much? She's not, she is being normal. This is not abnormality. Absolute normality in the call. She wants to let it out. The husband is logic. Quick. You want to buy something from the shop, husband? You know what you're buying. Go straight to that shop. You go straight to that aisle. You pick up that thing and out of there like a Formula One. The wife wants to buy a box of tissue. She will take you to every shopping center under the sun. And after 445 hours, she will finally go and buy that box of tissue. You are shattered to pieces pushing that trolley all this time for nothing. And you ask her, why did you take 24 hours to buy a box of tissue? Honey,

40:50 I needed to feel the Chanel. I needed to feel the diamond ring. Oh, honey, look at this diamond ring. So sweet. Honey, I can't afford it. I know, I know, but I have to feel it. Oh, look at this furniture, honey. Oh, it's so comfy. So, you know, I hope to buy it one day. And then she'll tell you off if you don't buy it for her. So, my beloved, it's a stressful day. If you see there's going to be a World War III event, If Christ is the center of that family, one of you has to retreat. Don't stand in the face and start talking because it will end up into argument and then into World War III.

41:34 Walk away. Let it go. And if she yells at you, be quiet. Tell her off tomorrow. Nicely. The reason why we fight at home Because I'm the center of the family, not Christ. You see, when I try to prove a point, I'm trying to prove it my way. My way will never be the other party's way. The husband is a unique individual, so is the wife. They are two different unique individuals. They were raised in two different families, two different environments, two different upbringings. They are not the same.

42:21 The Holy Bible when they say the two are one. The two are one in love and respect. They are not the two are one in the way they think. In the way they talk. It's impossible. They are two different unique individuals. They cannot be 100% identical. It's impossible. But you see my beloved. The reason why we fight because it is my way. My way. But if it's Christ the center of the family, even though I'm tired, I'll still say, no problem, honey. You relax. I'll take care of it. When you do that, you have embarrassed the other side with love. The other side will get up and say, no, no, no. Let me do it, please.

43:20 Do it the right way. Christ's way. Amen. You see, Christ does not treat me according to what I deserve. He never treats me according to what I deserve. What I deserve is hell. What I deserve is the crucifix. What I deserve is punishment. But Christ never dealt with me in this way at all. So before the wife responds, she remembers, Christ has called me to be a servant, not a judge. My darling, my daughter, don't ever be a judge at home. Be a humble servant. See, the problem may not disappear, but what has changed? The way we dealt with the problem. That's what changed. The problem is still there, but when Christ is the center... then the way we approach that problem, the way we deal this problem, is totally different now. It's no longer war,

44:30 but rather peace. In a peaceful way, we resolve the issue. This is what Christ, what He does when He enters that Christian family and becomes the center of that Christian family. This is for the husband. Another point. My beloved husband son and father Christ teaches the husband that leadership is not control but the cross Christ teaches the husband that leadership is not control it is the cross this is a very important point my son for you to understand to learn to fathom and to implement in your own household as the husband as the father Leadership is given to the man, not to the woman, by the way.

45:28 This is God's way, not anyone. God never intended for the woman to lead. That's why He created the man Adam first, then out of the man He brought the woman. She follows, she does not lead. So the leadership is for the man. And the reason why the man is the leader, because the man represents Christ and the woman represents the church. The church cannot lead. And I mean the church as a church leaders. Whether you are a pope, a patriarch, or a bishop, a cardinal, as a shepherd in the church. The day you start leading, you will destroy the church, yourself, and the flock with it. You will destroy everything. It is Christ who leads. The man represents Christ and the woman represents the church. The day

46:22 the church leads, the church is divided, destroyed. It is Christ who is the good shepherd and there is no one good but God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is God revealed in the flesh. So therefore, my son, leadership is not controlling. It is the cross controlling. Sometimes a man's leadership in the home is misunderstood. Because we say as men, I stand and I say, listen, it is my way, not yours, wife. Whatever I say goes. I will not listen to what you're saying. I'm the man, you're not. Sometimes we do that. Maybe in the 21st century has almost diminished. Because the wife will put him in a cage and send him to Fairfield police station. But...

47:14 But if the man stands and says, I'm the man of the house, you are the woman, you follow me, you listen to me. That is not leadership. That is definitely not the leadership God has given to you, my son. But he made you the leader, but not your way, God's way. In Ephesians chapter 5, again, St. Paul says to the man, you are not given the throne, you are given the cross. Why? Because, what did we say? Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the church. And he what?

48:01 What did he do for his church? He gave himself for her. He gave himself for her way on the cross. So the leadership of the man, Christ, was giving himself for his beloved wife, the church. So the man carried the cross and the woman honored the cross. That's why on every church building that is erected, there is the cross on top of that church. The church is the wife and the cross is the man. The wife is saying to her man before the whole world, you are the crown of my glory. The cross to the world is rejection. The cross to the world is humiliation. But to me, it is your love that you show me on the cross. This man loves me so much. He loves me more than himself. So you died on the cross where the world laughed at the cross. But for me,

49:10 the church, that cross, I'll make it the crown of my glory. So the cross is given to the man to carry. That is the leadership of the man, carrying the cross. How can I give myself for you, my beloved wife? Christ is the model to every man. Christ washed the disciples' feet. Christ carried the cross. Christ did not use His power to enslave others, but rather He used His power to serve others. So as the man, as the husband, you as the leader of the house, you are the servant of the house. Not the dictator.

49:57 Not the ruler in your way, but in Christ's way. You are the head of to your beloved wife. So where is this head? The head is the foundation. You are the foundation, my son, to this family. And where is the foundation? On top or at the bottom? Definitely at the bottom. Do you see the foundation? No. But you see the house so beautifully put together. If it wasn't for this foundation, there wouldn't have been a beautiful home.

50:28 There wouldn't have been a beautiful house. It is the foundation that carries the entire weight. So my son, as the man, as the leader, as the husband, as the father, you have to carry the weight of your entire family. Because if the foundation is cracking, the family will collapse. If the foundation is weak, the family is weak. If the foundation does not want to be a foundation, there is no more home. This is God, not anyone, not anyone.

51:04 So my son, when your wife is angry at you, you better carry her. You're the foundation to flock. When the children are giving you a hard time, you are the carrier, the load bearer of the entire family. If you become weak, the wife is weak, the children are weak. But if they see dad is strong, they'll say, whoa.

51:33 The wife will say, look at my husband. I'm proud of him. And the children will say, I can't break my dad's word because he is the man of this house. He's not just dad, he's the man. When I am in his presence, I feel safe. I'm proud of my dad. I can lean on my dad. And I can rely on my dad every time I'm in trouble, dad is there.

52:01 And the wife says, every time I'm feeling weak, my husband is my fortress. When I want to cry, I know which shoulder to find. My husband's not my mom, not my dad, not my brother, not my cousin, not my friend. It is my husband. He is the Lord bearer. He is the carrier. He is the only one. Whatever I say, he never judges me. He never looks down at me. He never points the finger at me and says, you, you, you, you.

52:34 He carries me with my mistakes, my wrongdoings, my foolishnesses. He carries me. That's why my safety net is my husband. He is my heaven. My heaven. And every time I want to open up and share what is bothering me. He is all ears listening. Son. When your wife says I want to talk to you. Drop everything and listen.

53:12 Because if you don't let her talk to you. The most dangerous thing is. She will talk to someone else. Not you. That's where the danger is. Be all ease. Make her feel. And not only feel. Make her live. I'm the only one. My wife that you talk to. No one else. But it's not just words. You have to prove it to her. So that's why. Next time something happens. She will open up and talk to you.

53:48 You have protected. Preserved. Your household forever. The moment she goes out that door. And shares what's inside of her to other people. The family is destroyed. That's why we have confession in the church. If you're wondering. Why do you have confession? Because you need to come and open up to your men. The man is Christ. Who else are you going to go and whinge and complain and tell them your life story and life secrets? You tell it to Christ. And what did Christ give you? The church to come and open up so that way that secret remains with your man Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As a married couple you don't go and share your private matters to family members, relatives, friends, mother-in-laws. Please avoid mother-in-laws.

55:03 Leave them alone, poor thing. They've been judged extremely harshly. Leave mom alone. She's tired. She raised you, my daughter, and you're in your 20s, you're in your 30s. Mom is tired. Next time she says to you, how is your husband with you? Is he okay? Say, mom, he is the best. You just had a big fight. But you tell mom, I wouldn't have asked for any better husband than my husband. I thank the Lord for him every moment. Let mom be happy. And the same thing with you, son. You don't go and talk to people outside of your home. Let me tell you this. Bed, the one that we sleep on, in Arabic has two names.

55:53 Those who understand Arabic will understand what I'm saying. Well, I'll try to explain it. In Arabic, there is firash, which is bed, and there is sarir. It's the same bed. It's the same bed. But why it's called firaj and it's called sarir. Now it is firaj bed when you are single, not married yet. You sleep on it, it is called firaj. But the day you get married and you sleep on the same bed, it is no longer firaj, it is sarir. So in marriage, it is called sarir, not firaj. And the word sarir derives from the word sir, which in Arabic means secret. So the bed you sleep on as husband and wife is not called a bed.

56:41 It is called secret. Meaning, whatever happens inside that home remains inside that home. The next time you want to open up and speak, you better speak to Christ and Christ only. He is the man. Come to church. Christ is the model. He washed the disciples' feet. He is the man. And not any man, he is the perfect man, the sinless man. This man is like God, never sinned.

57:12 Only God never sins. Man, the man Jesus Christ, never sinned. He is like God. So what a perfect man and what a humble, self-sacrificing man. He carried the cross for her sweetheart, the church, the bride. He washed the disciples' feet. He carried the cross. Christ never uses power to enslave people, but rather he used it to serve people. Therefore, a Christian man does not lead his home by raising his voice.

57:45 You don't shout. You don't yell. You don't break things, my beloved son. You lead by carrying the cross. And what is carrying the cross? You lead with harmony. You lead with self-erasing. You lead with absolute calmness and quietness. When the cross represents death, death, when somebody dies, do you hear them yelling? You don't lead the house, your home, your family by shouting or raising your voice. The man does not lead his home through fear. Neither does he lead his home through threats. You do not lead as the man. You do not lead the home with fear.

58:34 If you are afraid, the whole family is gone. Do not be afraid. Yes, I've got problems. I don't have a job. There's bills to be paid. There is problems to be resolved. But I am the man. In Jesus' mighty name, I'll face all the challenges. The Lord is capable of overcoming any and every challenge. And say along with St. Paul, in Christ Jesus, I can do all things.

59:04 What a man St. Paul is. I can do all things. I overcome. that ship that broke somewhere in Malta. I got bitten by the most poisonous snake and I overcame it all. I was thrown into prison and into dungeons. I came alive. I overcame all these things because it is Christ who strengthens me. I'm the man. I do not be afraid and run away. I face the challenges head on. I face them. Therefore, a Christian man does not lead home by raising his voice, my beloved. He does not lead his home through punitive silence. Punitive silence is when the man goes silent, calling it a form of punishment for his wife and the children. I will not talk to you anymore. Leave me alone. Habia, I need you. Sweetheart, can you come? I'll be quiet. I

1:00:08 won't talk to you until you bow and ask for forgiveness. Relax, brother. Punitive silence. Instead, he leads his home through holiness, through service, through responsibility, through prayer and self-sacrifice. Now that is a man. A man who wants to be the head of his home must first learn on how to carry the cross.

1:00:42 Carry the cross, my son. You want to be the head of the family? Show them the way. Lead. Let the family follow. One last thing before I call it a day. My son, I beg you. You are the first one to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Not your wife, not your children. You're the first one. When you Come and bow before the Lord Jesus. Then you bring your family along with you. You show your wife, you show your children that Christ is the head of this household. It is not your husband, darling. It is not your dad, my children. It is the Lord Jesus who is my head, your head and everyone's head here.

1:01:34 The family belongs to Christ. He is the crown of glory of this family. He is the head of this family. He is the center of this family. He is the rightful owner of this family. And watch me my wife and watch me my children. How your husband and your dad kneels on both knees. and places his head before the feet of the Lord. You must show how you worship the Lord because Joshua taught us, but as for me and my house, he didn't say my wife and I. No, he said me and then my family. We serve the Lord.

1:02:13 We serve the Lord. So my son, you become close to Christ. Christ will make sure your family is close to you. You want your wife to be respectful to you, your children adhering and obedient to your words, you better be obedient to Christ, my son. Because what goes around comes around. If you are disobedient as the husband and as the father, how do you expect the Lord to teach your wife and your children to be respectful to you and if you are disrespectful to the Lord Jesus?

1:02:50 If the church leader does not honor Christ, The flock will not. By the way, the church is the family as well. So what is the center of the church nowadays? Is it money? Is it material things? Is it thrones? Or is it the Lord Jesus? If it's the Lord Jesus, the leaders all have to sit on the floor. Not on a throne. The throne doesn't belong to them. It belongs to Christ. Why are you sitting on a throne?

1:03:28 And why are you saying this is my place and this is my church? Man, we own nothing. We are just stewards. We're not owners. We've been entrusted by the possession of the Lord Jesus. We look after His possession until He calls us home. That's it. Nothing is mine. The cross is not mine. The crown is not mine.

1:03:48 The staff is not mine. The ring is not mine. The clothes are not mine. The rank is not mine. Nothing is mine. The church is not mine. It's the Lord's. I'm just a humble servant looking after my master's possessions. Once the job is done, he says, okay, that's it. You've done your job. Come here. And don't forget, Bishop Murray, you are a useless, hopeless servant no matter what you do.

1:04:13 Even if the whole world is listening to you now, I did it, not you. Who do you think you are? Do you want me to prove that you're nothing? He can do it just in a blink of an eye. He can throw me out there and I become an absolute nothing, which is the truth. I'm nothing. My son, be present at the feet of the Lord. Take your family with you to the Lord Jesus. Amen. I don't know, we shall continue. Do you want us to continue this? Yeah, you like that? Are you sure? You're not being offended?

1:04:54 Let me see, where did we get to? Ah, yes. Let me just say this very quickly and just to sum it up. I pray from the bottom of my heart that the love of Christ and the heart of Christ is in the heart of every family. I pray that every Christian family Come back to Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. Not I'm a Christian by name. But a Christian by deed.

1:05:30 We don't talk about Jesus only. We live him. I don't preach about the Lord. But I breathe him. I don't attend the church because it's an obligation. I attend the church because it is my life. Not a portion of my life. It is my entire life. And everything else rotates around the church. Because the church is the center of my life. Why? Because Christ is the head of this church. He is the center of everything. And everyone else. So I prayed. For the Lord to touch every husband's heart and every wife's heart and every child's heart to realize it is not about us. It's about the Lord. It's not about proving myself being right. It is about saving this family and bringing it back to Christ.

1:06:34 And the only way to save it is when the Lord is the head, is the center. When the Lord is the reason for the season. None of us. None of us. It's Him. I pray that we start learning on how to stop living for myself. But living for Christ. As the husband live for the Lord, as the wife live for the Lord, as the children live for the Lord, all of us together as one united family, we live for the Lord and through the Lord for one another.

1:07:10 Because if the Lord is not the teacher, who is going to teach me? If the Lord is not the reason for this family, then what are we doing here? He is it. I have to come to Him. Through Him, I live. For the rest of the family. Through him. So. I pray that the love of Christ. Truly touches. Every heart. I'm my son. Stop going to the club and forgetting about your family. My daughter, stop going out with your friends and forgetting your family. My son, the children, daughter is the wife. My children, stop going out with your friends and ignoring and being disrespectful to your family. Enough.

1:08:04 Come back. The whole family needs to come back. And unite and say enough is enough. We cannot do it our way anymore. Because we are going to destroy ourselves. We need to come back to Jesus Christ. For He is the only way. And the only truth. And the only life. And I pray for the whole world. to come back to Jesus Christ don't ever whoever is listening who is a non-christian I'm not talking just to Christians I'm talking to every human being don't ever associate Jesus Christ with Christians because Christians do not represent him they misrepresent him all the time because we are sinners we are weak if you want to judge Christianity judge Christianity by the honor of Christianity not the Christians the followers

1:09:05 judge it by the leader and let me see if you are going to find anyone anywhere near Jesus Christ of Nazareth let me see come on let's put it to the test I'm proud of my man The crown of glory. My man is the holy one. My man is the perfect one. My man is the only God revealed in the flesh. My man is the only way.

1:09:33 My man is the only truth. My man is the only life. My man is the alpha and the omega. My man is the first and the last. My man is the beginning and the end. My man is the life and the resurrection. My man is the one who created everything with one word. But when he came to create us, he created us with his own hands. He said, let us go down. Everything He created with a word except the human race. His own hands made us. And His own breath gave us life. He breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life and Adam became a living soul. meaning He created us from within Himself, not without, from within. And whoever comes from within is the son. The one who comes from without is a servant, not a son. How do you bring children? From outside

1:10:41 or from within? Love the Lord, my beloved. Call more people to come to church. To see the good looking... I have to throw that in, eh? Love the Lord, for there is no one but Him. Jesus Christ is God. He's not Catholic. He's not Orthodox. He's not Protestant. He's God. Stop putting these names on Him. What do you think?

1:11:14 Just because you're a Catholic, you're going to go to heaven because you're Catholic? If you don't have a true relationship with Christ, you will not end up in heaven. Even if you're a Catholic. And if you think you're an Orthodox, just because you're an Orthodox, you're going to go to heaven. You're mistaken. If you do not have a true relationship with the Lord, Orthodoxy will not lead you to heaven. It is Christ. Stop putting nonsense on yourself and dividing the body of Christ. And stop saying, I'm a Protestant. Come back to the truth. Live the truth.

1:11:51 And understand Who this truth is. We have hurt the Lord. For too long. My beloved. For too long. We've hurt him through the church. We've hurt him through our families. We've hurt him through ourselves. Enough. He doesn't deserve it. He doesn't. And I'm the number one sinner. He doesn't deserve it. I need to repent. I need to repent.

1:12:22 I need to say, Lord, please, I beg you have mercy on me. I want to know how to live you, to love you, to be with you. I take me to you, Lord. But mean it. Stop acting. Stop faking it. Stop using Jesus Christ as a duty, as an obligation, or as a mean to honor yourself with it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. The honor, the glory, the respect, the gratitude, the veneration, the worship is to Jesus Christ of Nazareth and Him alone. Him alone. He is God, whether you like it or not, my dear atheist. And I'll call you dear because I love you, I pray for you. There is God, my dear friend. Trust me, the big bang, Jesus caused it. No one else. He's the creator. And he is, I always say this, he's too good looking for a Jewish guy. All the Jews

1:13:27 should be proud that they have Jesus Christ as a Jew. Man, he should be proud. Let go of land, let go of... We're fighting over materialistic world. The world at the end, it is nothing but a grave. Grave. Poor Augustus Caesar thought he ruled the world. We don't even know where his grave is. Poor the pharaohs. They thought they were the most intelligent people in the world. They build the pyramids.

1:14:11 What a great achievement. Where are they? Gone with the wind. Jesus Christ lives forever. This name never dies. This person never dies. For his God revealed in the flesh. The one who rose from the dead is calling you to him and say let's live together. Let me enter your heart let me enter your life let me enter your home open the door don't shut it in my face family sit together and pray family sit together and thank god family sit together and eat together don't just don't go don't be on the run throw that mobile phone from your hand my son let go of your friends my daughter let go of your friends Have time for mom and dad. Have time for each other as siblings. Say, brother, I'm not going with my friends because brother, you're my friend. Sister,

1:15:18 you're my friend. You're my family. We're going to go together from now on. Enough forgetting the family and just going with strangers. Live for one another. Love one another. The body is present, but the heart is absent. Bring that heart back to Christ so that Christ can put it back in the family once again. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This alone will bring Joshua, son of Nun, into the heaven of all heavens, along with his family. I pray every family makes it all. And by the way, mom and dad, the only inheritance you can have in heaven is your children when you bring them to Christ. That's the only inheritance you can have. The mansions, the millions and the dollars you have and the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis and

1:16:14 the wealth, whatever you have, you will take nothing. That stays here. Material stays in the material realm. But your true inheritance in the kingdom of God is your children when they are in that kingdom as well along with you. Love the Lord as a family. Make your home a church. Start praying as a family. Before you go to sleep, husband and wife, call the children and say, we're going to pray today. Your dad doesn't know how to pray, but I'm going to learn. I'm asking the Lord to help me. But we need to kneel and just be ourselves.

1:16:47 Say what you feel from inside, Lord. I haven't talked to you for a long time. I don't know how, but by your grace, I say, I love you, Lord. Lord, I ask for forgiveness. Lord, I ask you to protect my wife, my children. Lord, I thank you for my family. And Lord, whatever happens, don't ever leave us, Lord. We are inviting you to be the head of this family from this moment onwards. And until you call us home, we are all yours. No one else's. The family is not mine. It's not my wife's. It's not the children.

1:17:20 The family is yours, Lord Jesus. Amen. All right. Let's stand for the finale prayer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. whether it's hatred, let me so love, whether it's injury, pardon, whether it's doubt, faith, whether it's despair, hope, whether it's darkness, light, whether it's sadness, joy.

1:17:48 O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. Amen. May the Lord Jesus bless you, guide you, and protect you all the days of your life, now and forevermore. Amen. Go in peace. The peace of Christ be with you always, my beloved. God bless you. Thank you.