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WHAT MANNER OF FATHER?

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”” ~ Galatians 4:6   REFERENCE: Galatians 4:1-7   The ultimate model of who a father should be is God. He revealed Himself to us, not as a boss, lord, or even master, but as Father. He put His Spirit in us, and the first yearning of that Spirit is to call God “Abba, Father.” God, our Father, is a model of love, gentleness, mentoring, guidance, and discipline. He is not an absent Father. What manner of father are you? Naturally,...
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A FATHER’S LEGACY

"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you… And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you." ~ I Samuel 7:12 & 16   REFERENCE: II Samuel 7:12-19   The actions of a father become a legacy that affects the lives of his children for generations to come. A father is a representative head; hence, he must understand that he represents the destinies of generations he is presently unaware of—as were Adam and your father. Our text tells how David's obedience to God would be a father's legacy...
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FATHERS AND CHILDREN

"When I was my father's son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words…" ~ Proverbs 4:3-4a   REFERENCE: Proverbs 4:1-7   I celebrate every dad today (you are either a dad, have one, or had one). It is a great privilege to be called a father, so if you are one, you are fortunate. As fathers, our children are our greatest assets because they carry on our legacy. Without them, what is the purpose of accumulating wealth? To what purpose do you build...
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INFECTIOUS ZEAL

“Now while Ezra was praying…confessing, weeping, and bowing down before…God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.” ~ Ezra 10:1   Fire is often used to describe zeal because of its consuming and contagious nature. Solomon said, “Fire never says, ‘Enough!’” (Proverbs 30:16). When fire starts with a flammable material, it moves from it to another, and another, until it is either quenched or there is no more flammable material to kindle or ‘infect.’ This is true of zeal; it consumes and is transmittable.   Zeal speaks of...
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THE POSITIVE DISRUPTOR

“Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” ~ John 5:19   John 5: 10-19  When you decide to follow after God, you may be seen as a disruptor of the established order. Many of the prophets were seen as societal disruptors. They were accused of going against the grain; sometimes, it cost them their lives, but they are remembered as messengers of God. Elijah was called the troubler of Israel,...
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CALLED (TO BE) SAINTS

“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.” ~ Romans 1:7   REFERENCE: Romans 1:5-10   I remember a song by Phil Driscoll. It says, “We are the people of God; called by His name; called from the dark, and delivered from shame. One holy race; saints everyone, because of the blood of Christ, Jesus the Son.” Some religious denominations reserve the title of ‘saint’ for persons they recognize after their death, who may become the object of veneration and prayers for intercession. However, that is not the case with the bible; God calls all of us (to...
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SATURDAY

"…Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, after three days I will rise." ~ Matthew 27:63   REFERENCE:  Matthew 27:57-66   Jesus was crucified on a Friday; He said He would rise on the third day, which He did on Sunday morning. However, my mind goes to Saturday, the day between Jesus's death and resurrection. It represents the place between a promise and its fulfillment. How did the disciples feel? I imagine them in despair, confused, unsure, and mourning. Will Sunday come? How do you live through the 'Saturdays' of life, waiting for a promise? You...
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REACH FORWARD

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” ~ Philippians 3:13   REFERENCE: Philippians 3:13-14   All that God will do in your life is not behind you but ahead of you. As painful as yesterday was, your best days are in front of you, so look forward and reach forward. It is not God’s plan that you will be a victim of your past or that your best testimonies will be in days gone. He will yet surpass His record in your life. The...
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FIGHT BACK!

“Therefore, we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.” ~ I Thessalonians 2:18   REFERENCE: I Thessalonians 2:17-20   At times, we find ourselves yearning to fulfill a mission, complete a project, visit a loved one, or serve God’s kingdom. Yet, these aspirations often remain unfulfilled, seemingly thwarted by unseen forces. These forces, the dark satanic powers, are relentless in their opposition to our every effort to please God. It is in these moments that we must rise up and fight back. As anointed as the Apostle Paul was, these dark forces, personified in Satan, hindered him...
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THE FORSAKEN FOUNTAIN: BROKEN CISTERNS

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water." ~ Jeremiah 2:13   REFERENCE: Jeremiah 2:4-13   We saw in the last episode that God became the forsaken fountain of backslidden Israel. God brought a charge against them that they made broken cisterns (water tanks) for themselves to drink from; meanwhile, the waters of these cisterns will never satisfy that which comes from God's fountain of life. These cisterns represent satan's subtle attempts at substituting our love for God with other seemingly harmless things...
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