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Sunday, June 19, 2011

The FATHER's Day!

The ministry that we're a part of, I'm an Ordained Elder in the prayer ministry International Prayer Response (www.internationalprayerresponse.org), had a neat piece on Father's Day.  I'm not going to quote directly from that piece for two reasons.  One, the LORD gave the writer of that piece the inspiration to write what he did.  Two, HE has laid something on my heart to write here.  Our FATHER in Heaven isn't a complicated GOD, although HE is complex.  It may seem as if I've contradicted myself here, but have no fear, I will explain my reasoning.  What GOD wants from and for each of us is really simple, as in uncomplicated.  HE wants us to choose HIM to be the focus of our lives.  HE wants us to give our worries and needs over to HIM with complete trust.  HE wants us to not only praise HIM when things are good, but to instinctively turn to HIM when things aren't so good.  HE wants to be able to bless us in every part of our lives, and that our every thought, word, and action should bless HIM.  HE wants to be consulted about decisions we make, whether we feel HE would be interested or not.  HE wants us to accept that HE sent One Son into the world to die, so that HIS other sons and daughters could live.  Yes, the LORD has a lot of 'wants', and these are just the tip of the iceberg.  But, nothing we've seen is complicated, it's all pretty straightforward.  Now let's get to the complex part of HIM.  What is complex is why HE wants what HE wants, this is where we can get in over our heads if we aren't careful.  I've said often to people when in a group setting or when just talking with a friend that we will never truly understand GOD until we can see ourselves through HIS eyes.  If you'll look back at the short list of 'wants' HE has, and factor in your life today and how you've lived it in the past, HIS 'wants' from and for us make even less sense.  I don't know the number of people who've told me when asked if they were ready to accept CHRIST as their SAVIOR that they were 'working on it.'  When asked what it was they meant by that, they're response would be something like, "There is just a lot of bad things about me and my life that I have to get worked out before I will be comfortable accepting CHRIST."  A lot of people get it in their minds that they don't deserve what GOD offers, and guess what?  They're absolutely right!  Remember the Scripture where JESUS tells the Pharisees that HE hadn't came for the benefit of the healthy or the righteous? 

'When JESUS heard that, HE said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  I desire mercy and not sacrifice.  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."'    (Matthew 9:12-13    NKJV)

I feel that the reason why people use the reason that they 'have to fix themselves first' is twofold.  First, this reduces the magnificence of what GOD has given them with HIS gift of Grace, because then they would've done the hard part by fixing what was broken.  Second, this is their escape when confronted with their own position as a lost sinner, and they have to avoid making a committment to HIM because they just know that they'll fail as a Christian.  See how things can get real complex real fast when we try to reason out the 'why's' of GOD?  So here is some advice, don't.  Easy to say, not so easy to do.  But this is where faith comes in, to believe what doesn't make any sense to us. 

The last thing I have to share (right at this moment anyway!) is that if we'll take a hard look at the short list of HIS 'wants', and then compare it to what your father wanted for and from you, and what you may want for and from your sons and daughters, you will probably find some common ground.  When we become parents, one of the first things most of us realize is that we want to be better parents than our parents were, even if we thought our parents did an excellent job.  Then we want to always be able to protect our children from any sort of harm.  Then we want.....  Do you get my drift here?  If you'll just put all of this together, it'll be easy to realize that every day should be the FATHER's Day.   Happy Father's Day, and God Bless!

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