The Best Father of All

Next Sunday is Father's Day. It is a celebration honoring fatherhood and the influence of fathers in society. It was first proposed by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington in 1909. It is currently celebrated in the United States annually on the third Sunday in June. Father's have always play a big part in every society. Unfortunately, there is a father absence crisis in America. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 18.2 - 18.5 million children, that is, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. Research shows the negative impact upon a child when raised in a father-absent home, that they may face in the following ways; There is a four times greater risk of poverty; Seven times more likely to become pregnant as a teen; more likely to have behavioral problems; more likely to face abuse and neglect; Two times greater risk of infant mortality; more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; more likely to go to prison; Two times more likely to suffer obesity; more likely to commit crime and Two times more likely to drop out of high school.

Although these statistics are real and even heartbreaking, nevertheless their is some wonderful news. God chooses to relate to us in terms we all understand, that is, terms of the family. Family is God's design for the foundation of all societies. Though God embodies the characteristics of both a father and a mother, yet, in a greater, more passionate way, He presents Himself as our Heavenly Father. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become children of God, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12–13) Jesus Himself taught us to call on God as Father, "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:Our Father in heaven..." (Matthew 6:6-9)

We also see in Psalm 68:4-5 more wonderful news, especially to the fatherless, "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, and rejoice before Him. A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation." Whether we have had a good earthly father or not, we know what a good father should be and what a good father should do. God is the greatest example of fatherhood by revealing to us in His very nature, as a good, good father. In His nature we find the need to be protected, loved, guided, valued, and even disciplined. And God will fulfill that role in our lives if we let Him. There is no need for anyone to be truly fatherless, because God is the perfect Father and He made provision for everyone to become a child of His.

Our Heavenly Father offers Himself as the ideal Father not only to those without earthly fathers, but to all who will come to Him, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (John 6:37) "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God." (John 16:26–27) God gave His Son so that we might become His children, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) When we belong to Him, He expects us to call on Him, trusting His goodness. He wants us to give our worries over to Him to carry, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) and simply have confidence in Him as we desire to have confidence in our earthly father. God is the best Father there is, He will be a Father to the fatherless and He alone is capable of filling every void left by our imperfect earthly fathers. In truth, God is the only perfect Father and the One we all need most.

So, on this Father's Day, whether we have an earthly father or not, let us honor the greatest Father that ever was or will be, Almighty God, our Heavenly Father...

Seated With Christ

The climax of the meritorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ is His glorification, that is, "the seating of the Lord at His (Father Gods) right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:20-21) This came about after Jesus had been made sin with our sin; after He had paid the penalty for our sin; after He had suffered unimaginably in spirit, soul and body, all of this, so that the demands of justice against humanity could be met and paid in full. Once this was accomplished, then Christ was raised from the dead. We may know these facts but the good news is, we were raised with Him and seated with Him, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7) This was not our doing, but the Father's. The Father declares we are seated together with Christ. PTL

God the Word became flesh, a man (John 1:14); He identified Himself with the human race  (Philippians 2:6-8); He became the substitute for the entire human race (John 3:16); He delivered the human race from the authority of Satan (Colossians 1:13); After He has conquered Satan, death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18), He arose from the dead; was reunited with His physical body (Acts 2:27); carried His blood into the Most Holy Place in heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High making redemption eternal, comprehensive and available to the entire human race. We have the God Man seated at the Father's right hand as our advocate, (1 John 2:1), our mediator, (1 Timothy 2:5), our representative, our intercessor before the Father. (Hebrews 7:25) This is the crowning event of redemption. Jesus seated at the Father's right hand, and is the head of the new body, the Church. It's no wonder that the Apostle Paul proclaims, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3) 

Not only are we seated in the highest position in the universe with Christ, we are also blessed with every spiritual blessing that is necessary to maintain our place as members of His glorious body and live life abundantly through Him. In the mind of God, every believer is in Christ now. When we go to the throne of Grace in prayer, it is as though Jesus Himself were going there, for we go in His Name. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) Every believer is  hidden from the adversary, but we are visible to the Father. The writer of Hebrews says, "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24) 

Jesus is at the right hand of the Father as our representative, as our Lord, who gave Himself for us. If Christ sat down at God's right hand, it is because the Father accepted Him and accepted what He did for all humanity, especially every believer. The fact that He is seated there is the seal of our acceptance in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) This should cause us to see that our Redemption is a completed, eternal, finished thing. So, let us not get caught up in the worry and anxiety that the world would try to conform us to, but let us exercise our faith in the integrity of God's Word and know that as Christ is, "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21) so we are also for we are in Him as we can see, "the Father has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23) PTL...   

Child of God - Part 1

Many times in the New Testament we see that when one truly accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they become a child of God, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) But what does it mean to be a child of God, a son or a daughter? Let us begin by looking at creation. Notice, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-3)

The first thing that God started with, was the earth. From day one, through day six, God created everything that pertained to the natural or physical realm. Without much thought it is obvious to see, although most likely refuted among scientists, the earth is the center of creation, the center of the universe. If astronomers could find a way to measure the distance from earth to the end of the universe, and continue to take measurement at one degree increments for three hundred and sixty degrees, they would find this to be true. 

Going back to creation and looking at the sixth day, it is recorded, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28) The Psalmist David reveals, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet."(Psalm 8:3-6)

       
Now we can see the purpose of creation. It was and is all for man's benefit. Everything was prepared by God for His masterpiece of creation, man. Well, if the reason behind creation, especially the earth was for man, then what was the reason for man? Seeing that God created man in His own image and likeness, there is only one answer. God wanted a family. He wanted sons and daughters. The Apostles Paul reveals, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (Ephesians 3:14-15) Its clear that God's desire was to have children, sons and daughters. In heaven He had angels to minister to Him. However, other than angels being spirit beings, man is the only thing in all creation that is a direct reflection of the image and likeness of God. There is not one thing like man in all creation. 

In the account of creation shown in Genesis, we see that all creation took place in six days. We really have no account of what the length of a day represents in the realm of creation. The closes account that we may draw some understanding from was spoken by Moses, "For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night." (Psalm 90:4) and the Apostle Peter, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8) Although these passages represent the fact that God is not bound by time and space, let's look at them as though each day of creation took a thousand years. During the end of day six, or almost six thousand years from the time God began creation, He made man. Now, think how wonderful man is in the eyes of God. Only a loving Father would devote so much time in creating everything for his children and also give them the authority over it all.

Another thought to consider, instead of creating the entire human race, God gave man the ability to reproduce himself, which can be said, man was to produce more children for God. We do not know the length of time from the creation of man and his time spent in the Garden of Eden, but we do know that before man produced other children, the most destructive event in the history of God's children took place. We call it the fall of man, but it is more reflective of treason. Man not only rebelled against his creator, but in fact, Father God's children betrayed Him. (Genesis 3:1-6) God had conferred upon man the legal authority to rule creation, but man had forfeited his authority over into the hands of God's enemy, Satan. This brought man into a new, and unfortunate relationship. Instead of the image and likeness of Father God, he now took on the image and likeness of his new father, Satan. (John 8:44) 

Although mans treason thwarted God's plan, let us not forget that God is not bound by time and space which places Him in the realm of knowing the beginning and the end at the same time. (Revelation 1:8) Although man's treason separated him from God and he became mortal, subject to death,  (Genesis 2:15-17); gave Satan dominion over creation; (Luke 4:6), brought a blighting curse upon the earth, vegetation and animals (Genesis 3:14, 17); brought all mankind into bondage of Satan (1 John 5:19); and death (Romans 5:12); it did not take the all-knowing Father by surprise or catch Him off guard. No, He already had the plan of restoring His family, man, back to Himself before creation began. (Ephesians 1:4-6) We will look at this wonderful plan of our loving heavenly Father unfold as we look deeper into what it means to be a child of God...