Knowing the Father

I want to share some thoughts with you about something that's been on my heart lately and that is not only our relationship with Jesus, our Savior, but with The Father. Let's face it, "knowing" God can be a little intimidating and confusing. Let's look at this scripture below and hear what Jesus has to say about it.

Version: NAS

John 14:6-15

6. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. 7. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8. Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9. Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and [yet] you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father '? 10. "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11. "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. 12. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. 13. "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do [it]. 15. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

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Abba, Daddy

A few weeks ago we talked about a young Roman boy, how he received a tutor/ teacher/guardian until he reached adulthood. Even though he was heir to the estate and wealth of the father he needed to be trained and matured. He was a "son" but didn't have access to the inheritance until he was grown up. Basically he was in no stronger standing than "a slave". He had to do what he was told. He was to obey and stay under the authority of the "teacher".


Version: NAS
Galatians 4:1-7

1. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2. but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4. But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5. in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

In the time of the New Testament years the Roman Empire consisted of about 60 million slaves. Yes, you heard me right. These were captives from subjugation of other countries, or impoverished persons whom needed to be employed. Their lives basically were not their own, and they were property of their master without rights. (verses 4:1-2)

Galatians 4:3-5 refers  to the time of the Old Testament or Old Covenant in which the Jews were still really "children" being taught; under the bondage of the "elemental" things of the world. Then when the time was right God sent Jesus to earth to elevate us, or "graduate" us from childhood to adulthood, or "adult sons" of God. Jesus death on the cross took us from being no better than slaves into an actual "relationship" with God the Father.

When I was young I was afraid of God. I grew up in a church that was legalistic in many ways. Sermons on "hell fire" and "needing to be saved" were the topic of most Sunday mornings. I had a skewed vision of God and who He was. This view of God stayed with me most of my adult life. I've shared this before, and I know that many of you were brought up like me. I felt like God was sitting up there in heaven just waiting for me to mess up, so He could strike me with lightening when I did. And did I ever mess up? Sure. Did I get struck by lightening? Well, things didn't always go well, but I know now that it wasn't God's fault. He ultimately wants the best for us, and isn't "out to get us".

I could recite the Lord's Prayer, but never really felt like God was a "father" to me. Knowing God as our Father can be difficult. A lot of it has to do with our relationship with our "earthly" father. How he treated us, whether he was available, at home, loving, kind, considerate, or if he was absent, abusive, unloving, and harsh. I had a good relationship with my own father, but he was often involved with other things, hobbies, etc. and wasn't a "communicator" to any great degree.

God has a great desire for us to think of Him as our "Heavenly Father". He doesn't desire for us to think of him as "the boss" or even as royalty in that he is aloof or unapproachable. He wants us to think of ourselves as His greatly loved children. And in that relationship enjoy His presence, closeness, kindness, and involvement in our lives.

Galatians 4:6-7 tells us that when we accept Jesus into our hearts and find "salvation" that the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit comes to us and desires that we have that Father/Child relationship. That we then truly get to know God in the way He desires. Not just our Father in a "shake your hand or pat your back" kind of way. But a way that is personal, loving and intimate. The kind of relationship that asks that we think of Him as our "Daddy". The "crawl up in His lap" kind of relationship that offers unconditional love, kindness, soothing, forgiveness, and instruction and guidance with a gentle spirit.

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

If you truly cannot call Him "Abba, Daddy", for whatever reason; be it a lacking relationship with your earthly father or a less than desirable experience within the church, please seek Him for that special love and tenderness He desires for us to know. It will truly change your life.

love, in Jesus,
Debra

Our Emotions in a Fallen World

Yesterday we talked about the fact that on Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden after they sinned, their "spiritual" life had died; their "zoe" life, and that they were removed from the "protection" of the Garden. They were then on a course of "physical death"; their "bios" life changed. Death had come into the equation. Not only for Adam and Eve, but for all mankind.

            

Now to look at the middle circle; the "soul" of man. Let's see what happened to the mind, will and emotions of man after the "fall". What is our negative inheritance?

In the Garden all their "emotions" were positive. All their needs were being met and they had a close relationship with God. After they sinned the first thing we see is fear. Adam and Eve hid from God. They were afraid of God and they were consumed with shame, guilt, and anxiety. These negative emotions are all evidence of a lack of faith in God. Later in Genesis we see the emotions of anger, hatred, depression, and jealousy being shown in their children, Cain and Able, when Cain murders his brother.

Version: NAS

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline.


Secondly, when we look at the concept of the "will", we can contrast in that in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve only had one wrong choice, and that was to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Up until that time all their choices were good and approved by God. Once they sinned and left the Garden, choices became hard as their will was given free reign.

John 7:17
"If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or [whether] I speak from Myself.



Their "minds" were darkened as they lost the knowledge of God. They lost relationship with God and in doing so they lost the ability to "know" God on an intimate level.

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

As New Testament believers with a relationship with Jesus Christ, we have the ability to "Belong" to God and trust Him which can relieve fear and all the wrong emotions that are attached.

We can give God the ability to direct our "will" in that we pray for Him to lead and guide us with our choices. We don't have to be out there depending on our human nature to come up with the right answers for the choices that we must continually make.

Knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, puts us back in the place to have relationship and knowledge of God. Our unregenerate "mind" becomes new, our eyes are opened to God's Word the Bible, and we can look at life through the eyes of God, not human nature.

Rejection becomes "belonging". Fear, guilt, and shame become "significance" in the eyes of God, and poor choices and sin become "safety and security" through our protection and covering by The Father.

Jesus offers us new life in Christ. Through Him we are reconnected and re-established with Father God. Our minds can be renewed and we are restored in relationship. How wonderful! We're not on our own, but filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and protect!

Next, Chapter 2 "Forever Different"

love you all,
Debra

Unchangeable

What is your perception of God? How do you see Him? Do you see an angry old man hurling lightning bolts at the human race from the heavens? What about a kind and loving rotund figure sort of like "Santa in the sky"? What about Jesus...what does He look like to you? How do you equate your ideas of God the Father with your idea of Jesus of Nazareth? Are they alike, the same?

New American Standard Version



Hebrews 6: 17-20
17. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18. in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. 19. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a [hope] both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20. where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

God has certain purposes for His children here on earth, to come into relationship with Him and to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ are two that we have been discussing in this study on prayer. In this scripture passage the writer of Hebrews is telling us that these promises that God has given us are certain because of who God is. He is telling us that God is unchangeable and that He also swears to us in an oath that He will not lie and that the promises He has made are "good"; they are Truth.


Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today, [yes] and forever


Malachi 3:6
"For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

These two verses basically say the same thing. Jesus never changes, God never changes. Thank you, Lord. I'm so glad He doesn't get sick of me. That He doesn't lose patience with me. That He doesn't change His mind and decide I'm not living up to His standards. So I'm out!
 
John 14:7-10
7. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8. Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9. Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and [yet] you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father '? 10. "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

I grew up in a church where "hell fire and damnation" were the sermon topics of each week. Whether or not there was anything else preached I can't remember. That was all I could remember. Week after week, year after year. It really didn't even matter if the pastor changed. It was all the same. I remember when I was a teenager. I really had had it up to my eyeballs with hearing how I was going to hell if I didn't repent, and "get saved". I don't know if anyone else has been through this, but finally I'd had enough of condemnation and misery. I was 6 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I knew I had made that decision. I knew I was going to heaven. Why did I have to hear the same "sermon" every week? It warped my view of Father God. I felt like He was sitting up in Heaven just waiting for me to mess up so He could "punish" me.

Don't get me wrong, I know we need to know about the consequences of our lives lived without Jesus. But I just needed more. I needed to know about the love of God for "me"; me individually. I knew God loved me because He sent His son to die for me, but I wanted to know how he felt about me, personally.

When I was a little girl I loved Jesus so much and so enjoyed all the Bible stories I had learned in Sunday School. Jesus loved children and small furry animals and only got mad if you tried to sell things in the sanctuary. Then you better watch out!

Into my adult years I was never able to put God the Father and Jesus "together". Not until I really had this verse put into my heart.

So how do you justify all the bloodshed and "justice" of the Old Testament in light of what the New Testament says? I never could wrap my mind around it. How could God change from the stern disciplinarian of the Old Testament to the sweet baby and loving young teacher of the New Testament?

Here goes. A simplistic answer straight from the Holy Spirit. God has never changed. He has been the same through all eternity. God had had a plan in the Garden of Eden, but we messed up. So, plan B involved more "structure" by the 10 Commandments and the Law. Men still messed up. The only way to remedy this was by sending Jesus, God's son, yet the embodiment of God, to live and then die for us as payment of our sin. He "paid the price". God is Holy, and He does not allow sin in His presence. Jesus "justified" us by His death and resurrection.

Now, God did not change, but because of Jesus death on the cross, our perception of Him changed because we are now "covered in the blood of Jesus". When the Father sees us, He sees His Son, Jesus. There is a reason that our dating of time starts with the birth of Jesus. B.C. and A.D. Before Christ, and Anno Domini, meaning in the year of our Lord. Time and history radically changed at Jesus birth and death and crucifixion. We are now able to approach the Father, because of Jesus shed blood on the cross. Before, that could not happen.

We have been looking at God's nature and how that pertains to our prayer life. Knowing that God doesn't change and that we can trust Him, gives us confidence to come before Him in prayer.

I'm interested in hearing about how your views of God were shaped and how you have perceived Him in the past and present. Share with us your journey of knowing God.

love,

Debra

To "Know" Him is to Love Him.

Before we fall in love with someone, we usually get to know them. Someone might be gorgeous, and looking at them from "across a crowded room" might spark interest or desire for them, but to fall in love... it's most often because we have spent time with that "someone" and we are beginning to know their personality and "nature".

Many people find it difficult to love God. Why? Because we really don't know God. We might honor and respect God, but He wants us to love Him, like He loves us. That can be difficult if we are not interested in knowing God. 

Lets look at some scripture that gives us a basic understanding about God. Read them with an open mind. Put aside any preconceived notions about God, and let's take a look at what the Bible says about Him.


1. God IS Love and He loves us.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.


1 John 4:16-1
16. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19. We love, because He first loved us.


Romans 5:5-8
5. and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 3:17-19

17. so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18. may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19. and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

2. God has understanding of human emotion and He loves us with passion.


Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

John 11:33-36
33. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, [also] weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, 34. and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35. Jesus wept. 36. And so the Jews were saying, "Behold how He loved him!"  

Matthew 9:35-36
35. And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36. And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.

We've looked at a lot of scripture, yet we have only scratched the surface in seeing how much and how deep God loves us. So many people look and think of God with the same "lens" that they use with their earthly father, yet God's love for us is incomparable. Earthly love comes no where near what God the Father feels for us. He is perfect and has perfect love for us.

Matthew 23: 37-39
37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38. "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39. "For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

I was just thinking last night about how I had heard on television once about a forest fire, and how they had found a momma bird in the aftermath that was scorched and lifeless, sitting on her nest. When the forestry people picked up her stiff charred body, a group of healthy baby birds were alive underneath. They were untouched by the ravages of the fire. Even though the momma could have flown away to safety she chose to stay and protect her little ones. My heart broke at the thought that Jesus is like that momma bird with us. He chose to stay and sacrifice Himself, so that we might have life.

I hope you think on these tender verses about Father God, and His Son, Jesus; that you might understand His great and passionate love for each one of us.

Blessings for a wonderful Day!

Debra

p.s. Laura asked a wonderful question about the Hebraic priesthood. Check the comments from yesterday if you have a moment.

Who do you want to be like when you grow up?

I guess we've all heard the saying "Like Father, like Son". And that's a wonderful thing to be as long as your father is a godly parent. Even godly parents would have a few traits that probably we would not all love to have passed down to us. I have wonderful parents, but I wouldn't want to be JUST like them. Nor would I want my daughters to be JUST like me. Whoa, absolutely not! I've messed up way too many times.

And then, have you heard the latest recipients of the Most Admired Woman Award and the Most Admired Man Award? Can you guess? Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. Well, they certainly have some great qualities, and I'm not getting political here, but would you look up to them and say "Wow, I want to be JUST like them!"

My point is this. You may have a wonderful godly parent, or you may look up to a teacher or a pastor, there are many wonderful examples out there for us to look to, but when it comes down to it, who are you aspiring to be like and how are you hoping to achieve it?

And BTW, age has nothing to do with it.

John 5:19-23

19. Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless [it is] something He sees the Father doing; for whatever [the Father] does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. 21. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22. "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23. in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Jesus, is saying that He watches the Father to see what is to be done. Father God is His example. He wasn't out there to do things "His way", but He was in compliance at all times with what God the Father was showing Him.

People were having a hard time accepting the fact that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. To them it was blasphemy. "Just WHO does he think he is?!" Then add the fact that Jesus was saying God was going to use Him to raise the dead, and then to be the Judge, well that was more than the naysayers could stand. They really hated Jesus, and started planning ways to get rid of Him almost immediately in His ministry.

To be such ardent teachers of the Law, somehow they had missed all the scriptures that pointed to the fact that God was sending His Son, a messenger, to save the world. I guess they missed that little important piece of information. Or more probably, the concepts that Jesus was talking about didn't fit in with all their corrupt pride and plans.


Proverbs 18:16 says, "Pride goes before destruction, an haughty spirit before a fall."

In this case pride means the opposite of humble. Someone who doesn't need God or anyone else. They think they know best.

Been there before.

Don't ever want to be there again...

Reading this makes me think of all the times that my behavior looked nothing at all like Jesus. Losing my temper over trivial things, bad attitudes, lack of compassion or mercy for those people that may be dealing with something I don't want to deal with.

Then to take it further, how about just looking to the Father and saying, "What do You see for me? What is it that You want me to be doing in life? What's Your plan for me and mine, Father?"

Remember yesterday when I mentioned a few phrases, song titles, etc. that kind of get under my skin? OK, here's another one: the famous song by Frank Sinatra called "My Way". Love the tune and Ole Blue Eyes wonderful voice, But what a temptation to just be out there doing it MY WAY. Some of you may be thinking that I'm going a little far with this. That's your prerogative. But I don't want to be going around singing for God and all the universe to hear, saying ..."I did it my way!"

I'm not talking about losing our individuality here, I'm referring to the idea of making a plan all by myself and then running with it. It has always worked out better for me to seek God first for the plan, then do the running.

I want to honor God the Father every day in my thoughts, attitude, and actions. And yes, they do come in that order. What we think on becomes our attitude, and then that translates into our actions.
So the next time I am tempted to bust out in a hissy fit, or tell someone exactly what I might be thinking I need to run it by Jesus. Hmmm....let's see..."what would Jesus do?" That's one I really like.

with great love,
Debra

Word for the day: In regard to the Father showing the Son what is to be done I want to say that like Him, I expect you to follow My example. You are not to be out there doing things in a way I have not shown you. Then when you are living your everyday life, it needs to be in My image.