Understanding 'Our Father’

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Each of us has our own stories and memories of our fathers. In many families, mothers often exhibit more spirituality than fathers. This may be because some fathers feel a sense of anger toward God, believing they must be more powerful than women. The masculinity of men can sometimes resist submission to God. Yet, there is only one God in the entire universe who invites us to call Him Father; no other deity offers this privilege.

Here are the things for fathers to know .

Understanding our Eternal Father

1) God created Father

God made all the things in world, when you read thru Genesis 1, he describes his creation order, in all of his creation, he saw something was lacking after he created everything and he felt the need to create Man in his own image, see how he created man from the dust to breathe his breath and he became living being.

• Genesis 1:26 'Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” '

• Genesis 2:7 'Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. '

After he created the man he felt he could rule every thing, but this man needed care and help.

Genesis 2:18,21-22 'The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. '

From our early father of Adam and Eve, we all have become fathers. Goodness of God is exhibited in every creation.. If he had not felt the need for suitable helper, we would have no woman and without a woman a man is a man, he never becomes a father.

God blessed every thing he created and said “Be fruitful and increase in numbers” thats how the blessing of Kids came to man and woman.

Only for man he gave the power to rule over the sea and sky and all things thats living on it.. What a good God that he gave a delegated authority to us.

2) God made Abraham “Big Daddy”

When Abram was chosen by God, he made him walk with him for 90 years, we see his name was changed from Abram to Abraham with a promise that he will be the father of many nations

Genesis 17:3-6 'Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. '

Abraham was given the blessing as father for many nations for his walking with God blamelessly and faithfully. He looked to God when he had nothing and depended on God for every thing.

Genesis 17:1-2 'When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty ; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” '

What does this blessing to Abraham mean to us?

• Those who call your self Christians are - are all descendants of Abraham Galatians 3:29 'If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.'

• God gave the seed of Christ thru the descendants of Abraham who is the Saviour of this world from sin. Galatians 3:16 'The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. '

• The blessings we receive from God is because of God’s blessing to Abraham, its not only for him but to his heirs Galatians 3:29 / Romans 4:3 'What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

• The Faith we have in Christ was inherited from Abraham Genesis 15:6 'Abram believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness. '

• The faith gave its root to righteousness in God for us, without righteousness its impossible to see God.

• Romans 3:22 'This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, '

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.'

• This righteousness of God makes us righteous and as we walk in the the path of righteousness we have eternal life with God. Romans 5:21 'so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.'

3) God gave Jesus ~ so that we become his heirs

We become part of God's family when we are saved by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, and through this faith, we are adopted as God's children. As His children, we also become heirs, sharing in God's inheritance alongside Christ, provided that we also endure hardships as He did, with the ultimate goal of sharing in His glory. Those who are saved become children of God through their faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26 'So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, '

Romans 8:15-16 'The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. '

Because we are His heirs, God grants us the strength to triumph over sin in the world.

1 John 5:4. 'for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. '

Because we are His heirs, God grants us the strength to triumph over Satan (Read Snakes / Scorpions as Satan)

Luke 10:19 'I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. '

Because we are His heirs, God grants us the power to bind.

Matthew 18:18 ' “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. '

4) God as Father protects us

• God is our protector in times of help, he was the protector for all the people whom he choose and who have their dependence on him, David explains this Psalms 46:1 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. '

• He lifts his voice and commands them and it goes away, David says he a fortress for us. Psalms 46:6-7 'Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. '

• God lead the Israelites 40 Yrs. He was a light to them in Night and Shade to them in Day Exodus 13:21-22 'By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.'

• God carried Israelites by shoulders as they walked in the wilderness Exodus 19:4 '‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. '

• God says he will care for his loved one even more than a mother can love a child by engraving in his palms of his hands. Isaiah 49:15-16 '“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. '

• In the new covenant life, He is our light and by his blood he purifies us to lead us to the path of righteousness - 1 John 1:7 'But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. '

5) God as Father Corrects us

• God disciplines us for our unrighteous behaviours, this is out of Love to make us correct and lead a life thats right in his eyes. Hebrews 12:7 'Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? '

• Discipline of the Father is for the goodness of child and it does not last long, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace over a period of time

• Hebrews 12:6 'because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” '

• Hebrews 12:11 'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. '

• His mercies are higher to the one whom are disciplined by him Revelation 3:19 ' Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. '

Earthly Father Expectations

We learnt lot on the God the father and his goodness, as he created the fathers, God expects few things from earthly fathers.

1) Head of House

God expects every man to be the head of the family. Christ is the head of the family.

1 Corinthians 11:3 'But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. '

• This is a very important principle thats given to fathers. Many fathers forget this primary responsibility and give that responsibility to the wife and think that man’s responsibility is to only earn for living.

• As man is head of the household, head of every man is Christ, his dependence has to be on Christ. He has to depend on every small decisions on family to be consulted with Christ to do the will of Christ in the family.

• This dependence will teach the children also to be dependent on Christ on their day to day needs and guidance and seek his righteousness

• Our Big Daddy - Abraham was tested by God to offer Issac as a offering Genesis 22:2-6 'Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ' There are many lessons from this us to learn from Abraham

• Abraham obeyed God as he treated God as his head - ““Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

• We read they walked for 3 days, I am sure Issac was not too young baby, he should be some where in his 10 to 15 yrs. He too obeyed what Abraham commanded to do. The obedience of Isaac was a result of his dad (Abraham) having the reverence to God. Many houses, fathers don’t have that character whereas they expect the children to have one.

• Abraham taught Issac all the process of burnt offering - As head of house hold he taught that to him, he did not outsource his work to Sarah Genesis 22:7 'Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” '

• Because the husband is the head of the house, the characters of Christ love has to be in the family, to love the wife Ephesians 5:25 'Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her '

• Because you are head of house, do not show your power and masculineness to them. Treat them gently and considerate and show the same grace and mercy Lord is showering to you. how you behave , promotes the characters of God exhibit in family. If you treat your wife respectfully, your son will treat his wife respectfully, if you talk with decency your children will exhibit the same to others. 1 Peter 3:7 'Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. '

2) Parent responsibility

• God gave the desires of sex to bring his offsprings to the world thru you, its only for the Lord. this body is created for Lord’s purpose. The pleasures of Sex is not to use as the world calls to do, live in together, pre-marital sex, Live together for short time and break up with divorce etc, all those acts are sexual Immorality sins.. 1 Corinthians 6:13 'You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. '

• Sexual immorality sins are grave in current times, Current times we live makes all young / old males fall into this trap. 1 Corinthians 6:18 'Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. '

• Learn from life of Joseph, he could have been wooed by great gifts from Pothiper’s wife, but he stayed away from the pleasures of sex to be righteous in front of God, he suffered for his righteous act, but God lifted him in the due time to be the ruler of the nation. Genesis 39:6-10 'So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. '

• Parental responsibility is not only about you showing good character's, it also shapes the next generation. We learn on this in David on how he showed his responsibility when he handed over to Solomon 1 Kings 2:2-4 '“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ '

• Do not provoke your children to anger, discipline them like the way Lord discipline’s his loved ones. Ephesians 6:4 'Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. '

• What David taught was followed for generations to generations, we read on this in life of king Hezekiah of how he destroyed the idols. 2 Kings 18:1,3-4 'In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan. ) '

• When you raise your children godly and if the descendants don’t follow God, God will show his mercies to the later generation to spare them from his anger. We see that in the life of Johoram 2 Kings 8:16-19 'In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. '

• In the day of Judgement, God will ask each father how we raised the offsprings he had given and we will be judged for the way we raise them Godly vs ungodly. So don’t think that everything that happens to your children is because of the millennial generation we live. We as parents have great responsibility to raise them in godly manner. As they shape the future generation and God’s plan in the world.

3) Godly Dependence & Hard work

Our time in the world is to do God’s will and accomplish his plans in the world. In this we have to learn what God asks us to learn and unlearn many things for his sake.

• Strength in God - We read how David had been raided by Amalekites where they took their women and childern captive and how he relied on God to fight the battle back. 1 Samuel 30:1-6 'David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. '

• not be Idlers - Young Timothy advices us not to be Idlers and be busybodies in the world. Work hard to earn the Grace of God, don’t take short cuts to reach the goal God has given to you. When we are Idlers, we invite Satan to take the role and destroy God’s plan 1 Timothy 5:13-14 'Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. '

• Victory is for Lord - You can put all of your effort and hard work the victory of the work is due to the Lord’s grace, never forget that. Proverbs 21:31 'The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord .'

• Witness to God - You are here in the world for a purpose, God has made you life a life witness to God, so be dependent on God to let your life be a light to world 1 Timothy 4:12,15-16 'Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.'

4) Honour him with first fruits

• Generous Giving - In the world we live, we give to others sparingly but we seek blessings from God generously. Where as Bible teaches us to sow generously so that we will reap the rewards generously 2 Corinthians 9:6 'Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. '

• Cheerful Giving - Don’t give out of compulsion, but give to other Cheerful out of what comes from your heart. God will bless you and never let you be in Debt due to the giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7 'Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. '

• Sins of Omission - Don’t stay away from giving to the poor and needy when they are in need. James 4:17 'If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.'. Jesus taught the example of rich man and beggar lazarus on how we will be treated due to our sins of Omission Luke 16:19-24 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’'

• Be Careful in dealing with Money - Be Content with it, if you are dependent on God, love for money will be secondary, we need money in the world, but the world and every thing in it is controlled by God, so never forget to leave God and go after money Hebrews 13:5 'Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” '

5) God expects us to be righteous

• We are expected to seek his righteousness so that all will be given to us Matthew 6:33 'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. '

• Righteousness of God is sought only if we seek the holiness of God.

• Biblical holiness is a balance between God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility.

• God’s sovereignty - God is preeminent in power and authority. God’s sovereignty is a natural consequence of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.

• Man’s responsibility - it’s his conscious responsibility to do actions

• Leaving one for the other leads us off the track.

• Unless we take action to obey to God’s call we become holy, God will not make us holy by just reading the bible verse or just praying, the listening and the actions we do only makes us holy and righteous

• The Bible abounds with passages which bring both these sides of the coin, God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Responsibility, together:

• Beginning with the text in Leviticus — Leviticus 20:7-8 '“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord , who makes you holy. '

• Man’s responsibility - “Keep my decrees and follow them “

• God’s sovereignty - “ I am the lord, who makes you holy”

• It is God who sanctifies us; but He also says, “Be holy as I am holy!”

• If Christ lives in you day in day out, the spirit of Christ gives life to lead a righteous & pleasing life to God Romans 8:10 'But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. '

• Strive to live a life like Job to earn the praise of God in front of Satan, its impossible to do by your own but can be done with Christ as all things are possible thru Christ. Job 1:8 'Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” '

• For living a righteous life the world will call you a looser, it may mock you, tag with you with many names, but the promise of God is true, he will lift you up like how he blessed Job multifold after his suffering. 1 Peter 4:15-16,19 'If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.'