Don't Forget the Father! Over the past 15 years or so , I have seen a tendency in local churches here to mainly talk about Jesus in their worship services. I suspect this is a national trend. Even a cursory study of the Bible argues for a more balanced focus on all three Persons in the Trinity, but especially a focus on God the Father. The entire Bible clearly shows God the Father is the Preeminent Person in the Trinity. Almost every reference to God in the Old and New Testament is to the Father. The Father is the one whose love sent Jesus to earth as John 3:16 so beautifully declares. Jesus talked about the Father and to the Father all the time. Jesus claimed he came from the Father, was given a Kingdom ( Luke 22:29) and followers by the Father, was going back to the Father and had an assignment to complete from the Father. Jesus prayed to the Father all the time on earth, taught us to pray to the Father and still prays to the Father in heaven for us ( Hebrews 7:25) . Jesus came to reveal the Father to us and one day will hand the Kingdom He had built on earth back to the Father who gave Him that Kingdom ( ICor 15:24). In summary, Jesus came so that we might know the Father. Jesus declares that eternal life consists in knowing the Father--and Jesus whom the Father sent ( John 17:3).
May I humbly suggest to church leaders that it is time to corporately recite the Lord's prayer again in Sunday services, Sunday School classes and the like? May I suggest that we teach people more about the "love of God" the Father as well as "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" ( 2 Cor: 13:14). We live in a fatherless generation when millions of people have not grown up with a father in the home or had a terrible experience of being fathered. I was raised without my wonderful father or mother at home due to their divorce. Relatives tried to raised me, but without the love I needed. Experiencing the incredible love of my Heavenly Father as a small boy saved me from self-destructing into sin as a boy and later as a man. I want every person to experience that inner witness of the Holy Spirit that cries out "Abba, Father" ( Rom 8:15). To that end, I commend to you again this website: http://www.Fathersloveletter.com
Saints Are Not Sinners: I would like to challenge the saying, "I am a sinner saved by grace." We were sinners but now we are saved, sons and saints after becoming a new creation in Jesus! Sinners is a technical term in the NT to mean unsaved and unrighteous. Both the Jews and Jesus made that contrast many times using the same Greek word, harmatolos
(Strongs word # 268) in all 44 verses where it is used in the NT. There is just no way to reconcile the incredible declarations of who we are in Christ with the biblical concept of sinner. Christians do sin, of course, but we sin as chosen, beloved, accepted, justified, righteous, sealed, born-again, transformed, Spirit-dwelt children of the living God. Sinners sin continually with little regard for God or any relationship to God. Jesus came to save sinners (Matt. 9:13) but once saved, we are no longer poor, depraved, condemned, helpless, enslaved sinners. That's why the good news is so good! The devil wants us to focus on how bad we are/were. God wants the opposite focus once we know Him as Heavenly Father through Jesus!
Credit Card Ministry: Now that sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? But Merlin Miller, former pastor of Landsdown community Church in Virginia Beach made me a believer! Merlin travels extensively to Ukraine to help orphanages there. His plane tickets are free.
His company pays large commercial bills with a credit card that generates airline miles. Those business transactions are sending him on mercy missions several times a year to desperate children in Ukraine. Many businesses--even non-Christian ones-- would do the same to help desperate people around the world. Someone just needs to ask. There is probably a businessman in every church who could be the liaison with other businessmen for such things. Why haven't we thought of this before? May God give you all favor with businesses to partner with in pursuit of His glory in the nations! If you get more miles than you can use, please share them with other ministries. Personal ambition and jealousy have kept us from sharing resources with one another for too many centuries. Freely we have received; freely give.
May God give you all fresh wisdom and zeal to know Him as Father and build His Kingdom even during these hot summer months. The devil is not on vacation. Be alert. Be available. Tougher times are coming and our communities and the nations will need and want the Church's help more than ever.
Bob Fox
Editor
