SHOW US THE FATHER

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

Many of us can relate to an earthly father as we would have had the opportunity to be nurtured and grow under his leadership.  We may have been disciplined by our fathers, and some of us may have been ridiculously pampered by him.

Yet many of us may have been under our father’s explicit counsel and strict guidance.  To others, he may have been the sole provider in the home, and yet some of us may have even been raised by father as our sole parental experience and thus saw him as mother and father.

On the counter-side, many of us can relate to our father in a negative light.  It could be that he may have been abusive to us or was never involved in our lives, and therefore he had no involvement in our upbringing.   We may even not know who our father is, or maybe he died before we had the opportunity to know him.  Some have witnessed their father’s backs as he abandoned the family.

Allow me to introduce the Father of all fathers, especially to those who are experiencing a lack in this area of fatherhood.  God the Father is not only Father, but He is also Mother, as one of His attributes is The All Sufficient One – El Shaddai.  This refers to God completely nourishing, satisfying, and supplying His children with all their needs as a mother would her child.

Philip, a disciple and Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, once asked Jesus a question – “Shew us the Father” – John 14:8. Jesus’ response to the request was

“……he that has seen Me has seen the Father” John 14:9

Therefore it stands to reason – as we expand what Jesus was really saying – that if we know Jesus, then we would know who God the Father is!

So what are Jesus’ attributes that would personify Him as His Father? 

The very Name of Jesus as Emmanuel meaning “God with us” speaks volumes.  If Jesus is Emmanuel, then so is Father. For some of us this is a comforting thought since our earthly fathers may have deserted us, leaving the rest of the family to manage on their own. The Bible reminds us of God’s promise in the following words –

“…and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you”. Hebrews 13:5

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah also reminds us of His staying power in the following Scriptures–

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: Isaiah 41:10

and again –

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah 49:15

Another attribute of the Father as seen through Jesus Christ is that of Provider. There was a time that Jesus and His disciples needed money to pay taxes and Jesus instructed Peter specifically what He should do to get the money needed.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:27

Jesus, being their Lord, did not leave it up to the disciples to figure how they should have their needs met.  Acting as His Father would, He provided for them in the same way that God the Father took care of the children of Israel in the wilderness.  He was showing the disciples who the Father is. 

In the Book of Exodus Chapter 16, we read of God’s provision of food for the Israelites as they went through their wilderness.  We too, as children of God, will have wilderness experiences, but our Heavenly Father will continue to provide for us in order to sustain us through the periods of what seems to be famine.

So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. Exodus 16:15

Jesus showed the disciples the Father by the way He protected them in times of great physical storms that rose up in their midst. He demonstrated God’s protection, as Father would have protected the Israelites from their enemies. God Almighty fought on their behalf and gained the victory for the Israelites as they walked in obedience before Him.  Gideon’s army was but three hundred persons and they won over the army consisting of thousands of Midianites and Amalekites.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. Judges 7:7

Jesus was never an accuser, and in the same way God our Father does not accuse us when we commit sin.  Jesus came as the Restorer to bring us, sinners, back into right relationship and with fellowship with God the Father.  See the account of the woman who was caught in adultery, and Jesus’ response to her.

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Jesus was showing this woman who the Father is – He was showing off a Father who is ready to forgive as long as we come to Him in repentance.

Most of all, Jesus exhibited the attribute of love and compassion to those with whom He was in contact.  Love is who the Father is.  Jesus showed us how to love our enemies. 

Judas was the betrayer of all betrayers, and Jesus knew it all along. Yet when Jesus revealed to all the disciples that one of them would betray Him they were in a quandary, wondering which one of them was the one to betray Him. Jesus did not treat Judas in any way differently from how He treated with the other disciples.  He loved them all in the same way.  He was exhibiting the Father’s Love.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

……God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. 1John 4:16

God the Father longs for us to know Him as Father.  He created us for His good pleasure, therefore we have to know what pleases Him in order that we become His pleasure!

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent] Ephesians 1:5

… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Why not take time to learn of the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ?  When we all take a step back and look at our lives, from the past into the present, we must conclude that we must have a Heavenly Father who watches over us to protect us and to provide for us.  All Father wants in return is for us to love Him through His Son Jesus.  The Word of God says, if we love Him, we would do what He says.

If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

As we come to know Father, we would learn how to forgive our earthly fathers who may have abandoned us or hurt us emotionally or physically.  Jesus told his followers to honour our mothers and our fathers.  Our Heavenly Father had given this same decree to Moses when He gave him the Ten Commandments. 

Honour your father and your mother. Matthew 19:19

Jesus was showing all of us the Father.

Jesus forgave all who would have hurt Him as He hung on the Cross.  He even forgave the thief who was repentant.  So is Father toward all of us who need forgiveness. 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God! Romans 3:23

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

I invite you to come to know Father through His Son Jesus.  

He is desiring a meaningful relationship with you.

BE NOT DECEIVED

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

At funeral services I would often hear that the deceased has gone to a “better place”!  I have pondered this statement many times and concluded that based upon the Word of God this statement cannot be true for all who die, particularly what the Bible outlines about the candidates for Heaven as opposed to the candidates for Hell!

Here is what I have discovered.  God has created everything on the earth including man!  Therefore as we are born we are His creation. See Genesis Chapter 1.  He has formed us in our earthly mother’s womb as she conceived us from our earthly fathers’ seed.  God loved His creation, He saw that what He had created was good!

Many persons say, because it is their belief, that God is their Father and if so, they reason that they are His sons and daughters.  According to the Holy Scriptures, we are sons of God only if we are led by the Spirit of God.    That means that we have to be born of the Spirit of God!

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Jesus said that He will be coming back for those who are His – meaning that He is coming back for those who He knows to be of His stock – those of His household of faith.  He said it in these words –

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

Contrary to what we have been continuously led to believe, these Words were not spoken to the general populace. 

Jesus was speaking only to His disciples …… and at the very intimate time of the Passover meal – He was speaking to those who were to be entrusted with the call to spread the Gospel.

• He was speaking to those who would have followed Him closely.  
  
• He was speaking to those who were in His service.  
• He was speaking to those whom He had pulled out of the world…those who had been entangled with the pleasures of the world but had accepted His invitation to follow after Him.  
• He was speaking to those who had said “YES” to living after His teaching regardless of the negative consequences.  
• He was speaking to those who had loved Him, and to those whose love for Him was destined to be tested and proven even before His death on the Cross.

Let us examine ourselves.  Are we truly God’s children?  Or are we merely His creation?

As God’s children we are called to resemble Him in our daily lives by our actions, by the choices we make and by our love for Him!  This is achieved simply by our obedience to His Word.  As God’s children we are expected to tell others about Him, and to make disciples on His behalf.  As God’s children we are expected by Father, to only do what we see Him doing.

Jesus came as our Saviour to begin the process of making us God’s sons rather than have us remain just His creation.  God sent Him to reconcile us to Himself after sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, His first children.  After they had sinned, their offspring and future generations, became tainted with sin.

Sin cannot enter Heaven where God is. God loved His creation, but desired us to be sons who would choose to love Him unconditionally.  So He sent Jesus to be the Sacrifice for the sin of mankind so that whosoever believes in Him would be forgiven of their sins, and so be reconciled unto God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

This can only become a reality when we consciously confess our sins before God and profess our belief and our faith in Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as our Saviour and by making Him our Lord!

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God! Epesians 2:8.

The Gift of Salvation is Jesus Christ!

The obvious questions that God’s creation would ask are “saved from what?” or “why do I have to be saved?  I am no criminal.”

As I had mentioned before, when Adam and Eve sinned, the human race that would follow after them would have inherited that sinful seed – not by choice – but by inheritance.  Therefore God sent a Second Adam, Jesus Christ.  His job was to repair what Adam had done, and so redeem the human race from their inheritance of the sin nature once and for all.  His coming serves to save us from total separation from God when we die.  However, the choice is ours to make, while we are alive, whether to accept God’s plan of redemption or to reject it outright.  Where we spend eternity is determined by the choice we make – one way or another.

It is so easy to accept this plan of Salvation as the first step to becoming a son of God.

• You simply go to God in prayer and acknowledge before Him that you are a sinner. 
• Then ask for forgiveness of all your sins already committed, and ask Jesus to come into your heart to live there. 
• Commit to turning away from sin and to following the godly lifestyle as written in the Word of God.  
• Ask the Lord to direct you to a Bible believing church where you can fellowship and learn more about this new life and about Jesus Christ.

Congratulations! Once you have committed your life to Jesus Christ in your heart, you have now become born again and have entered into new life with Christ Jesus!

Once you continue with Jesus Christ, you are certainly assured a welcome into the Heavenly Kingdom of God when your sojourn on this earth has ended.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

7 FINAL WORDS: 2 – YOU WILL BE WITH ME

Written by Audrey E. Charles

“Assuredly, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:43

Jesus was hanging between two men that He created, on a cross made from a tree that He created. The men were convicted thieves and both men spoke to Him, but each in a totally different manner. One thief, knowing his guilt but being unrepentant, jeered at the Lord to set them all free from their predicament. To him Jesus was just a way out. The other thief however, recognized Jesus’ innocence and saw the power of His words of forgiveness. He knew he was wrong and deserved death. He desired a way in, so he asked that Jesus remember him when He went into His Kingdom. To this request Jesus responded, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

These two thieves typify the two kinds of people who respond to Jesus…and to you as a Christian. There are those who will see you as a channel for a quick fix out of whatever problem they are facing. They may be willing to share their difficulties with you, but stop short of taking ownership for their own actions. They want you to do the work for them so that they can get on with their lives in the same condition that they are in now.

But then there are those who will recognize the Christ in you, and will sincerely seek to follow you, not just for what you have but for who and Whose you are.

Jesus’ mandate to us before He left the earth was that we should make disciples. Many have taken this directive to heart, and have employed various methods to reach this objective.

In telling the dying thief that he would be with Him in Paradise, Jesus was patterning for us the kind of victory we can often achieve in leading souls into the Kingdom. It happens when we give up the plans and purposes that our limited minds construct, and we simply allow our own lives to be the living testimonies of who Christ is in us. This is simple, but it certainly demands more from us personally than does handing out a tract! It requires that you and I become the walking Word 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days each year because you never know when the Holy Spirit will usher a “thief” into your presence!!

Jesus Himself was the power that brought the repentant thief into the Kingdom of God. He hung on that cross, denying Himself the right to call on myriads of angels to rescue Him. He submitted to the persecution and gave His life over completely to the Father. In doing so, He won over not only the thief next to Him, but many others who witnessed His selfless sacrifice, down to the very last second.

When you and I live our lives with transparent sacrifice, others are able to see the manifested power of God happening now, in real time, and not just read it as a historical event. It is then that this wonderful gospel of the Kingdom of God will have its appeal, as the Holy Spirit woos others to experience the freedom in Christ that you demonstrate.

Are you willing to not only take up your cross, but allow yourself to be nailed to it? Are you willing to be one of those whom Jesus talked about – who would be persecuted for righteousness sake? It doesn’t mean necessarily that people will spit in your face, or that you will have to face physical martyrdom. But when you choose not to go according to the tenets of this world system – even the world system that has infiltrated the church – you automatically open yourself up to persecution. You will face two kinds of “thieves” – those who will jeer and criticize you and those who will be drawn to the Christ in you.

When you ignore the criticisms you give the Holy Spirit a powerful weapon that will draw men unto Christ – the weapon of your sacrificed life that says to seekers, “You too, will be with me in the Kingdom of God.”

7 FINAL WORDS – 1. FATHER FORGIVE THEM

Written by Audrey E. Charles

 

As He hung on the Cross on that fateful day Jesus made the first of seven dynamic, life-altering utterances…

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. – Luke 23:34

Unforgiveness is often a major stronghold in the minds and hearts of believers and unbelievers alike. The mind, will and emotions like to hold on to the wrongs that were done, replaying them over and over in one way or another. Very often these memories lie dormant, hidden in the recesses of your mind until something similar in nature happens…..and you react.

Have you ever thought you had forgiven someone only to have that memory triggered, and you feel the twinge of uneasiness or pain again? That is an indication there is still some work to be done in that area.

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a decision. It is the doorway, so to speak, through which all other things in your relationship with the Lord must come. Without forgiveness it is impossible to have right relationship with the Father. He forgave you of all that you have done, are doing and ever will do.

In forgiving someone you give up the right to be right. You release your offender from any obligation to make it up to you. How do you do that? Let’s examine Jesus’ choice of words.

“Father, forgive them…”

Because the Father’s life is already the powerfully limitless life, He can forgive in a way that you may not yet be able to. God will not do anything that you don’t ask Him to do, so in essence you ask the Father to extend His forgiveness on your behalf in a particular area. You can then release the offenders and yourself from the burden of the offense. You no longer are affected by the “nail” of unforgiveness.

“…for they know not what they do.” – This is the key to forgiveness.

There is a saying that ‘hurting people hurt people’. People hurt others because they themselves had been hurt. Think of your offender as a wounded animal, bruised by the pain of some past offense – whether real or perceived. When a wounded animal is backed into a corner – when it has to face the reality of its own vulnerability – it strikes out at whomever or whatever is closest. This is the way it tries to convince itself that it still has some modicum of control. It is the same with hurting people. Hurting people are in survival mode…flesh-dominated and not spirit-led…so their mind, will and emotions are in control.

Now, see yourself as that wounded animal. Have you ever lashed out at someone either deliberately or instinctively? Was it not an effort to retain or regain control in some area of your life? If you had it to do all over again would you have said the same words? Done the same thing? You hurt that person because you didn’t fully know the extent of what you were doing. Your offenders hurt you for the same reason.

People hurt others because they don’t fully understand who God is, or who they are. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God created all mankind in His image and in His likeness. You have your parents’ physical DNA imprinted in you, so you look like and act like them in many ways. Similarly, if you are a Christian, you have God’s DNA embedded in you. The characteristics of God are a part of your make up. It is when you don’t recognize this truth that you malfunction in your thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Are you willing to do as Jesus did and ask the Father to forgive? In doing so, you deny your flesh the right to have its own way. Be cautioned that your flesh will not submit without a fight for its right to survive in this area. It may lie dormant for a while, and then arise again at an unexpected time, showing up as anger, depression, resentment, feeling overwhelmed or some other negative emotion. But if you are willing, the Father will enable you to tell your flesh, “Be quiet!” when the temptation to hold a grudge presents itself.

Will you take the time now to quietly ask the Father to bring back to your remembrance any offenders that you have not been able to completely release in forgiveness? Then ask Him to forgive them. In doing that you will have taken the first step out of the flesh-dominated life and into the limitless life that Jesus always intended for you to have.

SOMETHING HAPPENS!

There is power in the name of  
JESUS!

MAINTAINING ONE’S INTEGRITY IN GOD

This powerful article was written by Colleen Davis.

And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness…do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-35 Amplified)

As the days go darker, as the depths of the degree to which human beings could be evil and self-concerned plummets to new records, I find myself reflecting on what it means to maintain one’s integrity in God.

I am reminded that once we have accepted the amazing work on the cross as the supreme sacrifice for the redemption of our souls, and have become born again after the spirit of the living God, it is incumbent upon us to live each day from the new nature that is available to us and to shun at every possible opportunity the earthly spirit that so easily consumed us before that joyous day when we came to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Turning our backs on the “old man”; the one controlled by emotions, pride and ego is not an easy task when in the face of evil people, loved ones who continuously give offense, and extremely difficult circumstances, we are tempted every day to resort to manifestations of our baser selves.

Like Job, when life comes at you with all bats swinging you could be tempted to leave off your integrity and curse God and die. However, would like Job, we would have the wisdom to know that no calamity, no degree of stress, no conflict is great enough to make us exchange our heritage in the Lord for short term satisfaction of being shown to be in the ‘right’.

We must always remember that once one has been accepted into the family of God by embracing the mighty work of salvation that Jesus wrought for us on the cross, one’s main purpose is to be involved in the ministry of reconciling men, women and children back to God the Father, not just through what we may say of Him but how our lives represent the beautiful aspects of His divine nature. The fruit of the Spirit must always be evident in us – His love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22)

The Word of God says that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. As we meditate on God’s word, the Holy Spirit is able to bring alive His Spirit in us, gradually doing away with the imperfect nature of the selfish man which so often besets us. In so doing we are therefore become increasingly able to move as dead men among the forests of multiple offence (unaffected by the many hostile barbs that come our way. Then armoured in the unfailing love of God, our living witness will draw many, currently struggling with lives full of strife, unforgiveness, bitterness, lack of purpose etc. to the One in whom all true hope lies.

AS A LITTLE CHILD

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2,3

What does it mean to be converted?

• To change from one state to another
• Conversion comes when you change in the way you think, speak and behave

In order to be converted you have to know the characteristics of a little child. Here are just a few.
A little child...

• Loves unconditionally. He is not prejudiced. He loves just because
• Receives true love readily without suspicion
• Is innocent and defenseless
• Forgives readily and doesn’t hold grudges
• Is excited about life and has uninhibited joy
• Lives in the now. He is not concerned about what happened in the past, or what might happen in the future
• Finds his identity in his parent
• Has a pure heart with no ulterior motives
• Prays and worships from a pure heart
• Believes in the impossible

Jesus never asks us to do something that He Himself wouldn’t do.
He had the heart of a little child.

Notice that Jesus was talking to the disciples who were already saved. They believed that He was the Messiah. Yet He told them that they had to be converted. It is possible to be saved, yet not converted. That is why Jesus told Peter, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31,32

Heaven is filled with saints who have the heart of a child. The Father hears our heart and not just our words.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Hebrews 11:4

• God heard and saw in Abel’s heart: “Daddy! Look what I brought for You!”
• How do you bring your offerings to the Father?

  
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5

• God heard and saw in Enoch’s heart: “Daddy, what You doing? Daddy, I wanna come with You. I love you Daddy.”

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Hebrews 11:7

• God heard Noah’s heart: “My Daddy said it’s going to rain, so I’m going to build this ark even though people mock me. I trust my Daddy.”

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8

• God heard Abraham’s heart: “My Daddy’s taking me on a big adventure! We’re moving to a new place. He told me all about it and it sounds exciting!”

What can stop you from having the heart of a child?
Simply put…your own reasoning. Thinking too much, rationalizing and having your own agenda are all hindrances to having the true heart of a child.

The reality is…

• The more mature you become as a Christian, the more of a child’s heart you have to exhibit.
• Someone with the heart of a child may seem insignificant in the natural. But God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
• Those who have the heart of a child are the most powerful in the Kingdom, and the most feared by the enemy
• The heart of a child is pure. It is the pure in heart who will see God.

Do you have the heart of a little child?

WORTHY IS THE LAMB!!

THANK YOU LORD!!

THE DISCIPLE’S PRAYER

Author Unknown

I cannot say “OUR” if I live only for myself

I cannot say “FATHER” if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child

I cannot say “IN HEAVEN” if I am laying up no treasure there

I cannot say “HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME” if I am not striving for holiness

I cannot say “YOUR KINGDOM COME” if I am not doing all in my power to hasten that wonderful event

I cannot say “YOUR WILL BE DONE” if I am disobedient to His word

I cannot say “ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” if I’ll not serve Him here and now

I cannot say “GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD” if I am dishonest or seeking things by subterfuge

I cannot say “FORGIVE US OUR SINS” if I harbour a grudge against anyone

I cannot say “LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION” if I deliberately place myself in its path

I cannot say “DELIVER US FROM EVIL” if I do not put on the whole armour of God

I cannot say “YOURS IS THE KINGDOM” if I do not give the King the loyalty due Him from a faithful subject

I cannot attribute to Him “THE POWER” if I fear what men may do

I cannot ascribe to Him “THE GLORY” if I’m seeking honour only for myself
AND

I cannot say “FOR EVER” if the horizon of my life is bounded completely by time.

ISSUES OF THE HEART: 6 – Run to Reconcile

But when he was still a great way off, 

his father saw him and had compassion, 

and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 

Luke 15:20

Picture yourself as the father of this prodigal son.

Months, maybe even years ago, he had suddenly demanded his inheritance. It pained you to grant his request, but you obliged, and gave it not only to him, but to his older brother also.

It has been a heartbreaking time because of this breach between you. The pain that you have felt far outweighs any fleeting spells of anger. You’ve tried your best to make life as normal as possible, but that nagging image of him walking away, creating an ever widening gulf, has never been far from your mind.

Then one day as you stand outside you see a small cloud of dust on the path in the distance. You know that someone is coming to your house, though you can’t quite tell who it is. But then as you look closer you recognize the shape of that body. You have never forgotten that unmistakable walk, even though it’s much slower than the last time you saw it. It’s him!!

Forgetting your advancing years you take off in full gallop to meet him, willing your aging legs to move faster, and ignoring the protesting pains in your body. You are undaunted by the stares of neighbors and servants who are all witnessing this scene, and wondering if you will once again be subjected to another public humiliation.

As you finally reach him you gather him into your arms and kiss him over and over again, tears of joy streaming down your face. You’re oblivious to the dirt and sweat that cake his unwashed body. It doesn’t even dawn on you to consider what his reaction would be. All you know is that you’re together again.

THE FATHER’S LOVE
This father had every right to be hurt and angry. He had suffered because of his son’s words and actions. Yet his reaction to his son’s return can only be described in one way – love without restraint. He didn’t wait for an explanation, an excuse or an apology. He made the first move in repairing the breach. He ran to reconcile.

Can you picture our Heavenly Father doing the same with you? Without hesitation He draws you into Himself and offers you all that is His. His servants – the angelic host in heaven – break out in an impromptu party because you have come home! To the Father your motive for turning to Him does not matter. He knows that His unconditional love covers a multitude of your sins, and that in His presence there is healing, restoration, forgiveness, peace and joy.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. Proverbs 10:12
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

There is no doubt that this father would have been tremendously hurt because of his son’s actions. He suffered…

• heartbreak
• disappointment
• humiliation
• unmet expectations
• financial loss
• loss of contact
• lovelessness
• the son’s indifference to his feelings and welfare
• unanswered questions
• abandonment

Yet this man disregarded his anguish and ran to reconcile with his son.

The action the father took was as much for himself as it was for the son. In reaching out to the prodigal the father set his own life on a course of healing and restoration. He knew that he would not be whole unless he reconciled with the very one who caused him so much pain.

MY TESTIMONY
Years ago there was a person who had caused me tremendous emotional pain, and for a long time I walked around with very silent, very subtle resentment and bitterness towards this individual. I thought that as long as we stayed clear of each other and I wasn’t reminded of the offense, then all was well. I was a leader in the church, yet I was unaware that this breach had actually caused a domino effect.

One day the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I picked up the phone, called and forgave this person, saying that as of that moment it was as if the offense had never occurred….and I meant it. Mind you, I could only have done this with the help of the Holy Spirit Himself!

After that conversation I literally felt a weight lift from me – a weight that I never knew I had been carrying all along. I also hadn’t realized that the resentment that I had been harboring had affected those around me. This bitterness had spread like a cancer, affecting other relationships in my life. That was the domino effect! But once I repaired the breach those relationships improved also.

OFFENSES WILL COME
I’m sure that like me, someone has caused you pain by their words and/or actions. As long as we are in this world offenses will come (Luke 17:1). Maybe even now, as you read this article, the situation is yet unresolved. Can you relate to some of the suffering that the father endured?

Sometimes you and I are the ones who commit the offense. At that time guilt, embarrassment, rationalization and fear may tempt you to do nothing, and pretend that all is well. But the Lord still requires that you obey His Word.

IT’S A TEST
Your reaction to a breach in a relationship is actually a test of your love for the Lord, not just for the individual you’re at odds with. Jesus said that if you love Him you will obey His commandments.

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words… John 14:23-24a

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23, 24

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 5:14-15

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation… 2 Corinthians 5:18

WHY RUN?
This father didn’t walk slowly, he didn’t hesitate, nor did he stop in mid stride. He ran and kept on running until he reached his target. Why run?

In the natural running bridges a gap quickly. It allows you to get from your starting point to your destination with speed. In a race, the fastest runner claims the prize. Think about it…………you hardly ever see a lazy runner! Runners usually have a goal to reach and they focus on their target. This father was serious about reaching his goal, so he ran!

The same is true in the spiritual. Running to reconcile with someone is an indication that you are serious about  obeying God’s command. It also prevents the enemy from stepping in and doing further damage to the relationship. It’s hard for satan to hit a fast moving target!

In hurrying toward his prodigal son the father outran his own personal hurt. He outran the spirits of doubt, accusation, anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness that would have hindered him had he lingered.

I pray that as you listen to the song below, it will inspire you to
run to reconcile!

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/iUV5T9JIJZ0?fs=1&hl=en_US