Our Father in heaven

Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou O Lord art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting. Isaiah 63:16

I see your face when I look in the mirror…I hear your voice when I laugh
I feel your presence and I know you’re my hero, my friend, my love, and my dad.

The above is an excerpt from a Poem that I wrote for my Dad. As I wrote it I recounted all the wonderful things that my Dad did for us while we were growing up as I considered that as fathers go no one could have done more for his children.

I recalled so many things from when I was growing up; some of them sobering others silly. Times when I would stay up waiting for my father to come back home from a long journey, I even remember my Dad teaching me how to spell my name. I remember my Dad came to my primary school to pick me up and as I saw him from the classroom I began to worry. You see I thought that he had lost both arms because his blazer hung from his shoulders but I couldn’t see his hands were in his pockets. I just sat in the classroom unable to move.

And so in all of this remembrance I can scarcely contain the truth that Is plain- I love this man.

But the humanity of an earthly father is not an issue that is easily settled in the hearts of his children. Alas his children do not stay children forever. As we grow we begin to understand that our fathers are human therefore not perfect, though our love is not diminished It matures as we see them as they truly are. As we grow in Christ and become “Children of God” we begin to understand that Children are a gift from God given to Parents as caretakers, spiritually our father is in heaven and he is God.

“As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” John 1:12

Don’t give up your heritage: Brothers and sisters, what an inheritance you have in Christ. I believe that we live in a season where many of us do not understand just what a heritage we have as Children of God. If you have given your life to Christ you have been adopted into his Family, now the bible says that we are joint heirs with Christ.

What this means for you is that you are no longer subject to the laws that govern this world. The statistics that apply to the world no longer apply to you. The word of God has put the children of God beyond statistics when the Lord said “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come near thee” Psalm 121:7

It is indeed amusing how quick people of this world are to quote statistics. I have heard many people told things like “only 1 out of 3 people survive from this procedure”, “There are so many applicants and we are only taking a handful”. Before I took the CFA exam in June someone said to me “Do you really want to use books from a previous year when less than 50% of the people who take the exam pass?” All the while the spirit of God wants us to see that if we live in the spirit then we are no longer subject to the laws of this world. Now we are subject to something greater than the law of this world, something greater than the law of the old covenant between God and the Israelites, now we are subject to the word made flesh – Jesus. We are subject to the word of God. Why should we believe the world’s opinion about our chances, our future, and our lives when our father has already said something about it?

When I was growing up if my father said something I believed him. Even when it didn’t happen, next time he said it again I would believe. How much more our father in heaven whose word does not come back void, who cannot lie? How much more do we believe his promises that are yes and amen?

Do not give up your power: As a child of God your father in heaven has given you power – not unto you but that his name might be glorified. The word of God says that “As many as received him, to them he gave power to become Sons of God”.

Jesus said “If you say to this mountain move and you do not doubt it in your heart it will surely move”. Matthew 21:21 This is the power that we have as children of God. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave is at our disposal.

It amazes me how many in this world spend their lives pursuing wealth and power when there is no other power like the power of Jesus and there is no wealth like the riches of heaven.

We build political, corporate and social hierarchy’s. Categorize, rank and esteem people on the basis of their earthly influence. Our father in heaven is not interested in any of that. The most powerful person that ever walked this earth was born in an animal shed in a little town called Bethlehem. But there was a time in a river when the heavens opened and a dove descended and a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased”. Matthew 3:17

The more obedient we are to our father and the more we seek his face the greater his power in our lives.

Do not give up – God is able and willing

So do not start worrying: “Where will my food come from, or my drink, or my clothes? (These are the thing the pagans are always concerned about). Your father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:31-32

Brothers and sisters your father knows your most intimate needs and desires. The enemy knows your heritage and he knows the power that you have in Christ. He also knows that if he can get you to doubt God by worrying, if he can put the spirit of fear in you then he has robbed you of your inheritance.

Too many of us do not receive from God because we either don’t believe that he can help us or we don’t believe that he is willing.

God is able – The bible says we should test the lord and see that he is good. God is able to surpass our wildest dreams and ambitions because he is God.

I remember watching a program on television where Senator Obama was asked if believed that God created the world in 7 days and I thought: If God can create this world, the mountains, the oceans and everything else then surely he can do it in whatever period of time he wants.

Are you waiting on God for something? I want you to know that doing the impossible is what God has been doing since he created man. We serve a God of miracle who is not restricted by time, circumstances, and certainly not by men whom he created. God is able.

God is willing – This is a hard one for many of us as we struggle to grasp God’s will for our lives. What God has made for you he has specially made for you and you must hold on to receive it.

When the children of Israel were journeying to the promised land they came across the land inhabited by the Children of Esau (Jacob/Israel’s brother), God told the Children of Israel not to strive with them because this land he has given to the Children of Esau. They came again unto the land inhabited by the Children of Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and the lord told them the same thing: Do not distress them, continue on. (See Deuteronomy: 2)

That God is not giving you now something you want may be that it is not the right time, or that he has something better in store for you. Brothers and Sisters, as Children of God these are the only options: It is not yet time or there is something better. God is willing and wants a better life for his children more than they can want it for themselves.

My father on earth saw me doing a PhD when I was still concerned about my bachelors, how much more for me does my father in heaven see? The bible has called him El Roy: The God that truly sees. Your father in heaven loves you and he sees the best for you. To him be the glory for who he is, for all he has done in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen