June 2018 Article: “The Forgotten Father”

Both hopes and fears can be traced to the position and attitude towards fathers. The family legacy as our inheritance is transferred from fathers to sons. Dr. Thomas Smail in his epic book entitled The Forgotten Father sums up this dilemma in two sentences: “Mothers tend to promote the fulfillment of their sons from behind; fathers tend to require the obedience of their sons from above! The first kind of love ministers to the needs of the beloved; the second kind dethrones the one it loves and presses him into its own service.” (p. 12). Both fathers and mothers are necessary. We need the push and reinforcement that comes from mothers, but we also need the upward pull to be elevated beyond status-quo living that fathers encourage. He speaks of obedience as the key since the father establishes the parameters and laws within which his children are to function. If lawlessness is to abound, as it is today, it is the result of the rules of fathers being violated. When boundaries are established the fear is the loss of freedom. Yet true freedom can never be experienced unless there are rules of engagement protecting one person’s freedom from invasions caused by the freewheeling and reckless lives of others. 

When the father is removed from his rightful and God given position, society experiences the feminization of men and women becoming masculine. The distinctions were established by God as Father and the order was to be preserved throughout future generations.

In the beginning there existed the eternal relationship of Father and Son. The first Person of the Godhead is Father. His will is to be done if His Kingdom is to be established on earth as it is in Heaven. It is the will of the Father that is carried forth through the Son empowered by the Holy Spirit. This serves as a protype of what God intends relationally on the earth. As fathers who receive their assignment and position from the heavenly Father directs sons to walk in the same path, peace and harmony are established on the earth. 

Godlessness and fatherlessness are parallels. Christ came to make God known as Father. He went so far was to share His position as the only Begotten Son with us. The prayer that He taught His disciples began with “Our Father, which art in Heaven.” The estrangement between God as Father and His creation culminated into the creature attempting to rise in defiance and competition towards their Creator! How many biological sons today despise the directives of their fathers? What a tragedy when they are competing rather than cooperating with God in what He initiated, using His resources along with all that He has to offer them against Him. This was not from the beginning, but rather, the result of the Fall and fallen humanity. 

There are some who may say that they love Jesus. Their problem is with His Father. They desire the work of the Holy Spirit. But God as Father is an archaic and out of touch with reality to them. They put forth efforts to divide the Father from the Son. Then there are those that may say that the love God. They just have trouble with His children. Jesus said to those who tried to separate Him from His father “that if you love Me, you will love My Father also.” He also stated, “Me and My Father are One” His work in the last days is to restore fathers to sons and sons to fathers; to mend the breach between the two. There are many who may have forgotten Father but Father has never forgotten you and will never forget you. Know the heart of Father expressed through His Son.  

Meditation: June 19

 “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

The Father allows us to enter into the love relationship experienced between Himself and His Beloved Son. We are welcomed into His family as being the earthly portion adjoined to the heavenly portion. There the fellowship is complete. Here we anticipate the reunion that awaits us whereas through prayer we are able to tap into the resources that await us there. He gives us a glimpse of His glory now. Enough of what He has promised is fulfilled in our lifetimes to assure us of what we have yet to anticipate is glorious. Yet eye has not seen nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the thoughts what God has ultimately provided for us. As Jesus prayed to the Father, we pray having been given access to Him through the Blood to petition His Throne. Fathers on the earth can take what they have received from Him and bless their children with blessings from above. Our fatherhood is a derivative of His Fatherhood over us. Our prayer is that His love will be distributed through us as Christ would pray that the same love received by Him would be shared by us.

June 2016 Article: ” City Fathers”

There was a time when leadership was both honored and obeyed, and where men of renown would gather together at the city gates or the entryways to decide what was good for the well-being of communities. They would take the prophetic Word spoken by the prophets and interpret its truths so that every family could align him or herself with the will of God. They were usually the elders with years of experience in both life and judgments. Issues could then be easily settled and the people would move in one direction. Without the conveniences of modern technology, the spoken work connected to the fundamentals that governed behavior and were taught by every father and reinforced by every mother. If controversy arose, it was settled among the elders or fathers of the people.

The elders were men that administered justice, settled disputes, and guided the people under their charge. Even the king would consult the elders even though he had the authority to determine his own course of action. As we retrace the path of history, it is easy to see those points of departure that adversely affect society today. In order for elders to govern the affairs of the king, they must first govern their own households. Fathers had to be there as heads of the household with an eye towards future generations. What choices would be left for children who were under the rule of fathers setting the example for them? It is a matter of established authority and the lack thereof that will determine either the rise or fall of civilization. The disintegration of morals can be directly traced back to the relaxed morals of prior generations that left individuals to judge matters independent of an established standard. God would speak to the prophets and the prophets would convey the prophetic word to the elders. The message was not merely to inform, but with the intent that lives be conformed to the standard established by God Himself. If the prophets were not received as instruments sent by God, neither the king, the fathers, nor the elders would have received the message. The receptivity of the family was commensurate to the receptivity of the father. They were taught of the Lord through their fathers.

Today God speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). Likewise, we are taught of the Lord through the ministry gifts given to the Body of Christ. Yet it is the fathers who have the primary responsibility to interpret the message so that his family may gain a clearer understanding. Although it expands beyond an intellectual understanding, the Word must be articulated in daily practice. How the Word of God is to be applied to every area of life will require aged men with maturity gained through experience. They not only speak of truth, but spare their children the pains of having to face life without a guide. Their successes and failures can be used as object lessons for the immature and inexperienced. Their tried and proven methods can be built upon from generation to generation.

Church fathers then can become city fathers. The Church was intended to be the center of the community as the gathering place for the instructions in knowledge and wisdom. Additionally, fathering is the derivative of being fathered. As Father, God set the criteria and model for every man that would ever occupy such a sacred position. Just as He spoke to the prophets of old to the fathers or elders, so He speaks today. To understand Christ’s earthly mission and to fully participate in work is our highest calling. Through Him we fulfill the role and carry out our mission. Let us not shortchange our children by giving them less than what they so desperately need. Guide them into knowing Christ through our godly example. Who will be our future city leaders? Those that we are training and leading today.

Meditation: June 19

 “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

The Father allows us to enter into the love relationship experienced between Himself and His Beloved Son. We are welcomed into His family as being the earthly portion adjoined to the heavenly portion. There the fellowship is complete. Here we anticipate the reunion that awaits us whereas through prayer we are able to tap into the resources that await us there. He gives us a glimpse of His glory now. Enough of what He has promised is fulfilled in our lifetimes to assure us of what we have yet to anticipate is glorious. Yet eye has not seen nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the thoughts what God has ultimately provided for us. As Jesus prayed to the Father, we pray having been given access to Him through the Blood to petition His Throne. Fathers on the earth can take what they have received from Him and bless their children with blessings from above. Our fatherhood is a derivative of His Fatherhood over us. Our prayer is that His love will be distributed through us as Christ would pray that the same love received by Him would be shared by us.