I said last week that following God’s direction is vital to enjoying God’s blessing and living a fulfilled life. I pointed out that reading through the Bible, we see God giving direction to people through the following ways: (1) His Word (2) The Holy Spirit through the still small voice, inner witness or a knowing (3) Dreams, visions and trances (4) Prophecies (5) Godly counsel (6) Angels (7) Circumstances – People and events God arranges to give direction.(But you still have to be convinced by the Spirit of God that it is God speaking and not just a coincidence or circumstances that have no particular meaning to you.)
Let me continue with the examples of people in the Bible who enjoyed God’s direction in addition to Moses that I mentioned last week.
God Led Elijah
In 1Kings 17:2-16, we see how God gave Elijah direction twice. First, God’s Word came to Elijah directing him to Brook Cherith to drink from the brook, and to be fed by the ravens there. He obeyed. When the brook dried up, God sent him to the widow of Zarephath to preserve him throughout the duration of the famine – to be fed by a widow who was the most unexpected person to feed another person especially during a famine. Again, he obeyed and enjoyed God’s provision. If you’ll follow God’s direction, He’ll take care of you no matter the situation.
1 Kings 18:1-2 says, “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’ So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.” (NKJV) There had been famine in Israel for three years after a declaration by Elijah. Then in the third year of no rain, God’s word came to Elijah to go and appear to Ahab. After showing himself to Ahab, there followed a contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. Because God had given him direction and he followed, God backed him up and he succeeded; he turned the entire nation back to God. If you follow God’s direction, it’s your enemy that will be disgraced, not you.
But after this national revival, Elijah fled Beersheba running from Jezebel who had threatened to kill him. “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.” (1 Kings 19:2-3 NKJV) God didn’t direct Elijah there – fear did. If Jezebel couldn’t kill him before, why did he think she would be able to kill him then following the killing of the 450 prophets of Baal? Despite the fact that Elijah fled, God didn’t abandon Elijah – He still came to give him direction ultimately sending him back to his ministry with specific assignments. If you know you’ve gone astray, return to the place you’re sure God wants you to be. Don’t be like Jonah, the disobedient prophet. Don’t get yourself in the “fish’s belly” before you agree to obey God.
God Led Philip
Philip was doing very well in his ministry in Samaria when God directed him out of there – an angel told him to go to the desert. He did. And the Holy Spirit took over direction in the desert telling him to join the chariot of an Ethiopian eunuch; a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury. Apparently, he had earlier been converted to Judaism and had come to Jerusalem for worship and was returning home when Philip joined his chariot.
The conversation between both men led to the eunuch’s salvation and eventual baptism in water. (Acts 8:26-40) Some Bible Scholars have suggested that this eunuch took the gospel to the continent of Africa. If it’s true, this happened because one man followed God’s direction from a city into the desert, an action which, on the surface, didn’t initially make sense.
God led Cornelius and Peter
We again see in Acts 10 God’s leading through vision or trance and the Holy Spirit. A trance is “an ecstatic state of mind that gives a person a sense of detachment from his physical surroundings.” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) But a vision is similar to a dream. However whereas dreams occur only during sleep, visions happens while a person is awake. (I’m not talking about dream in terms of plans or goals someone hopes to achieve which doesn’t necessarily have to do with sleeping.)
In a vision, God directed Cornelius to send for Peter. The same God gave direction to Peter via a trance preparing him to go and minister in Cornelius’ house. When Cornelius’ emissaries came to where Peter was, the Holy Spirit made the meaning of his trance or vision clear to him by telling him to follow Cornelius’ emissaries where he ministered to gentiles for the first time and they were baptized with the Holy Ghost while he was still speaking.
If Peter had remained conservative refusing to go, Cornelius and his household might have had to wait for another vessel that God would use. Thank God he obeyed God.
On another occasion, it was an angel that God used for Peter. Acts 12:5-6 says, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.” (NKJV) But an angel rescued Peter from this prison. The angel led him through the first and second gates and past the iron gate that led to the city before leaving. Peter thought it was a vision but it was real. “And when Peter had come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.’” (Verse 11 NKJV)
There was no way Peter could have beaten all the security posts there to come out of the prison except an angel led him out. It was supernatural. The Lord shall give you a supernatural deliverance in Jesus’ name. He will send His angels to deliver you and give you direction.
God led Prophets and teachers
In Acts 13:1-3, Prophets and teachers were meeting at Antioch. It wasn’t a commissioning service. But as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Ghost spoke that Barnabas and Paul should be separated for the work to which he had called them. These prophets and teachers complied. They prayed for them, laid hands on them and commissioned them. The two of them followed God’s direction for their lives, and what a great blessing they were to Christianity! When you follow God’s direction, your life will be a blessing to others.
Conclusion: There’re so many cases of divine direction to believers in the early church. In contemporary history, many believers have enjoyed and have continued to enjoy divine direction. There’s a great blessing in receiving and following God’s direction. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Rom 8:14)
God gave His people direction in the past and is still giving them direction today. He is God; He doesn’t change. (Mal 3:6, Heb 1:12) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)
Pray to God for divine direction, and be sensitive to receive and follow His direction. When God leads you, it will always be beside the still waters. (Ps 23:2) Shepherds in Israel never lead sheep beside roaring or troubled waters. The psalmist cried, “Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.” (Ps5:8 NKJV)
God has promised to lead you. You should trust Him to continue to give you direction that will lead you to fulfill your destiny. (Is 42:16)
Where God’s direction is followed, there’ll always be provision. God’s mercy ensures there’s no lack. (Is 49:10) I pray that you’ll not lack God’s direction. In that area of your life that you currently need God’s direction, may it come to you clearly. You’ll not grope in the dark in Jesus’ name. You won’t go astray.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess and forsake them today. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you. May the Lord be with you.
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES TO GOD (1)
By Pastor T. O. Banso
“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matt 6:25-34 NLT)
From the Scripture above, it’s clear that God is against worrying. Worrying is different from planning. God is against worrying; he is not against planning. And many people worry a lot, in fact, you wonder if they learnt if from their parents! And many parents are worriers, and will even justify it!
Collins Dictionaries defines worry (noun) as: (1) A state or feeling of anxiety. (2) A person of thing that causes anxiety. (3) An act of worrying. The verb form of worry is defined as: To be or cause to be anxious about something uncertain or potentially dangerous.
It’s not the Bible alone that addresses this phenomenon called worry. Psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists and similar professionals have done much work on the subject. In positive psychology, worry is described as a response to a moderate challenge for which the subject has inadequate skills.
It’s natural for man to show concern but being overly concerned achieves nothing good. It’s a share waste of time, and worse still, a waste of life, but planning is investing time to create a better future. While worrying wears one out, planning energizes one. In fact, someone has rightly described worrying as negative planning. If you’re facing a negative situation or you’re likely to face it, the right response is not worrying – that’s destructive. The right response is planning – that’s constructive. Prov 21:5 says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (NLT)
God doesn’t want His children to worry over any issue whether it has to do with meeting daily needs, employment, career progression, health, ministry or fulfillment of destiny. Matt 6:25-34, our opening text, shows the futility of worrying. Ps 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” (NLT) Another word for burdens is cares or problems. That Scripture presupposes that there’ll be burdens, cares or problems. It’s part of human existence. But when they come, don’t dwell on them to the extent that they paralyze you. Hand them over to God and leave them with Him – don’t ever collect them back from Him! And that’s something pretty difficult for many people to do. They feel they’re not showing a enough sense of responsibility if they don’t worry. But the question is: what did they achieve by worrying? What positive change took place after worrying?
I’ll stop here today and continue this series next week. Give all your worries to God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES TO GOD (2)
By Pastor T. O. Banso
Praise the Lord! In the second part of this message today, I want to begin to share with you six reasons you should not worry. It’s my prayer you’ll give all your worries to God and stop worrying.
Worrying is a waste of time; it achieves nothing. By worrying you can’t change anything. Jesus’ question captures it well: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.” (Matt 6:27 NLT) I agree totally. Worrying doesn’t pay your bills! Corrie ten Boom said, “Worry is like a rocking chair. It keeps you moving but doesn’t get you anywhere.” That is motion without movement. You’re busy but you’re not achieving anything. That’s not a productive life.
Most of the fears your worrying centers on don’t ever become a reality, so why allow yourself to be tormented by negative thoughts. I’m sure you can attest to that. How many of the things you’ve worried about, nearly dying, happened eventually? Most never did. So why did you have to punish yourself. French writer, Michel de Montaigne said, “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” Did you hear that? Most of the so called terrible misfortunes only existed in his imagination.
That’s the kind of agony many take themselves through as the devil uses their negative thoughts to oppress them. That’s why you must take Phil 4:8 very seriously: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Phil 4:8-9 NLT)
Worrying distracts you from finding and focusing on the right solution to the particular challenge you’re confronting. For instance, if someone doesn’t have a job or doesn’t have money, how does worrying change that condition? No, it doesn’t, and it won’t. Continuing to worry will distract such a person from finding and focusing on the answer to the challenge he’s facing. May be that’s why Corrrie ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty today of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” Why? Let me answer with another statement from her: “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once.” I don’t care how efficient and effective you are, you can’t make progress in life doing that.
Worrying reveals lack of faith in God. Jesus tells us that little faith is at the centre of worrying. Hear him: “And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!” (Matt 6:30 NLT) But these days, one may be right to say that many people have degenerated from little faith to no faith in God. And I’ve no intention to change or moderate the words of the Master.
George Muller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17) That means anxiety (worry) will kill your faith, and true faith will kill your anxiety!
If you’re worrying, it means you believe what your circumstances are saying more than what the Word of God is saying; you believe what the devil is saying more than what God is saying. If you’re a child of God, you should know that God is in control of your life – not the devil. You should approach life by faith not by worrying. As said by Henry Ward Beecher, protestant clergyman and abolitionist, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety or by the handle of faith.”
Permit me to stop again here today. I’ll continue this series next week. Give all your worries to God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES TO GOD (3)
By Pastor T. O. Banso
Glory be to God! Last week, I began to discuss six reasons you should not worry. I was only able to discuss four reasons, namely (1) Worrying is a waste of time; it achieves nothing (2) Most of the fears your worrying centers on don’t ever become a reality, so why allow yourself to be tormented by negative thoughts (3) Worrying distracts you from finding and focusing on the right solution to the particular challenge you’re confronting (4) Worrying reveals lack of faith in God.
I want to discuss the remaining reasons now.
Because God cares for you. This is another important reason you shouldn’t worry. God is a dependable CARETAKER. That’s why He’s asked you not to worry. He can handle your cares – your challenge or trouble. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting the whole of your care – all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all – on Him for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (Amplified Bible)
You don’t need to worry because God cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. He’ll sustain you; He’ll not let you fall. (Ps 55:22) He’ll provide a way of escape for you in any situation. (1Cor 10:13) Rom. 8:28 assures that all things shall work together for your good, so why worry? Because He cares for you, He’ll answer you if you call upon Him. “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21 NKJV) Rom 10:13 also reiterates this Scripture. God cares for you, and you’re free to call on him whenever you have any challenge. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jer 33:3 NKJV)
Worrying is not good for your mental and physical health. Pro 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (NKJV) Worrying robs you of your of peace. Worrying has been linked to depression, tiredness, stomach ulcer, speeding up of the aging process, stress, and heart attack. It can open the door of your life to other sicknesses. You don’t have to allow it ¬– it’s within your power to do.
How to overcome worry
I’ll like to share with you what you need to do to overcome worry.
If your worrying is as a result of sin, repent, ask God for forgiveness and believe that He has forgiven you. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps 103:12 NKJV) Jesus told that woman caught in adultery: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10 NKJV) Don’t hide your sin; it’s a futile effort.
Commit your life to God and trust Him. If you’re not born again, first commit your heart to Jesus accepting him as you Lord and Savior. You can’t overcome worrying without committing your life to God and trusting him that He cares for you no matter what, and has the best plan for you in all situations. “Commit your to the LORD; trust in him and he will act.” (Ps. 37:5 NEB) Pro. 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD all that you do, and your plans will be fulfilled.” (NEB)
Seek God’s will in all you do. Make God’s will number one in your life and you won’t have to worry. Everything will turn out for your good. Prov 3:6 says, “Seek his [God’s] will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” (NLT) God’s servant, Billy Graham, said, “Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centred in anything short of God and his will for us.” I cannot agree more.
I believe God has spoken to you already. I’ll conclude this series next week. Be a doer of the Word. Give all your worries to God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES TO GOD (4)
By Pastor T. O. Banso
I’m glad to welcome you to your favourite column. Today, I want to bring you the concluding part of this message. Last week, I began to discuss what you need to do to overcome worry. I said (1) If your worrying is as a result of sin, repent, ask God for forgiveness and believe that He’s forgiven you (2) Commit your life to God and trust Him (3) Seek God’s will in all you do. What are the other things you need to do to overcome worry?
Be content with what God is doing in your life. What God is doing in your life now may not be the best you desire but you must learn to be content knowing that God is not finished with you yet – your life is work-in-progress. It’s not worrying that will make your life better than it is now.
Lack of contentment is the number one cause of worry in many people’s lives. Hear what Paul said: “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (Phil 4:11-14 NLT) Did you see that? Paul learnt how to live in lack and in abundance. He wasn’t worrying; he had learnt contentment. Still talking about contentment, Paul says, “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” (1 Tim 6:8 NLT)
Everybody isn’t at the same level in life. There ‘re those ahead of you and those you’re ahead. Don’t fret because of where you. Your life is work-in-progress. God will take care of you. If there’s anything good that’s not enough today, you’ll soon have abundance of it. Cease from worrying. Heb. 13:5.says, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.’” (NLT)
If you are worried about any need, give the worry to God in prayer. Phil. 4:6-7 says, “Be humble under God’s powerful so he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” (NCV) Humble yourself – don’t be proud; cast your cares on him. (1 Peter 5:7)
Don’t’ stay awake in the night worrying. Hand over to God. He’s awake day and night. The two of you shouldn’t be awake! Prayerful people don’t worry. You must have heard this statement before: “Why worry when you can pray” Max Lucado said, “No one can pray and worry at the same time.” That’s true. The two are mutually exclusive.
Give thanks to God for answer to your request and worship Him. Worship God; don’t worry yourself. Worry opens the door to the devil; worship opens the windows of heaven upon you for God’s provision. The more you worship, the less you worry.
Give thanks to God in anticipation of the manifestation of answer to prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6 NKJV)
Receive God’s peace. Phil. 4:7 says that if pray to God about your needs – rather than worrying – you’ll experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand; His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
If you come to Jesus with your burdens, your cares, he’ll give you rest; you’ll have peace. (Matt. 11:28) Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 NKJV) God’s peace sends worry away. If you receive God’s peace, you’ll be able to sleep well which is good for you; cares shouldn’t keep you awake. “He [God gives] (blessings) to His beloved in sleep.” (Ps 127:2 Amplified Bible) If you’ve cast your cares upon God in prayer, go to sleep; God will bless you while you’re sleeping!
Keep confessing your trust in God to break any negative thought of worry. Your confession is crucial to your victory over worry. In line with the Word of God, you can confess like this: I refuse to worry. I’m not trusting in chariots or horses. In you, O Lord, I trust. (Ps 20:7) O my God, I trust in you. I know I shall not be ashamed; my enemies shall not triumph over me. (Ps 25:2)
Cheer up. If after you’ve taken all the previous steps I’ve discussed and, the devil still wants you to start worrying again, cheer up! Remember that worrying can never add anything to your life. (Matt 6:27)
In Jesus is your peace. He said in the world, you shall have tribulation – you’re under pressure, you’ll find suffering, you’ll find trouble – but be of good cheer – take courage, be confident, never loss heart, keep up your courage, cheer up! (John 16:33)
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (1)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
There’s no child who doesn’t have a biological father. The father may be dead or alive but no child started by been fatherless. Even the so-called bastard, a product of illegitimate relationship, has a father. Though who his true father is may be in dispute, he has a father dead or alive.
Edith Schaeffer, in her essay entitled “What is a father?” writes, “Unhappily, the word father has a garbled sense to many people of this century. It needs redefinition¬¬¬ – not just in words, but in understanding and in day-by-day life. People may shiver a bit or stiffen up inside when you say that God is a Father to us. Often the word father has negative emotion connected with it that has grown out of thinking of father as the definition of a person with whom there is no communication, who cannot understand one’s thoughts, feelings or actions and who must be avoided or from whom one must run away. Without realizing it, people transfer to God the imperfections and even the sins of earthly fathers they have known. Even Christians often portray the very opposite qualification to what the father is supposed to be and for their children a warped response to the word.” (Edith Schaeffer “What is a father?’’ in “A way of seeing’’ Old Tappan, N.J: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1977 pp 24-25)
The observations of Schaeffer are correct showing the miscommunication and misperception of the Fatherhood of God.
The Fatherhood of God is nothing peculiar to the church age. It was in the Old Testament except that the Fatherhood of God in the church age is by adoption through Jesus Christ.
In this message, I establish from the Word of God that God is not the Father of every human being. The concept of the universal fatherhood is considered a fallacy and God is shown as a Father to those who have accepted Jesus Christ, His son as their Saviour and Lord. God is, however, the creator of all.
For the next couple of weeks, I shall focus on how a child of God is born, God’s Fatherhood in the Old and New Testaments and what manner of Father God is. I shall also be looking at the responsibilities of sonship and call on those who have already become God’s children by adoption through Christ Jesus to take due advantage of this relationship making every effort to discharge their responsibilities to Him. Those who’re yet to be saved I shall call upon to take this crucial step and invite Jesus into their lives.
It’s my prayer that as you read this message, God will cause an entrance of His word into your heart and you’ll begin to enjoy more richly His Fatherhood.
Children by right
“But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan — this rebirth comes from God.” (Jhn 1:10-13 NLT)
In the passage above, we see two categories of people – those who were his people but rejected him, and those who accepted him and were called the children of God. The latter are people who believe in the name of Jesus. The Jews were his own people and many of them did not receive him but those who believed in him became the children of God.
Salvation is for individuals who will accept God’s way to salvation, and that is Jesus. Salvation is for all but then each person receives it for himself. It’s not a group affair.
I’ll stop here today and continue next week. To become a child of God, you must be born again. Are you born again?
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (2)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
When you get born-again, you become a child of God by right that Jesus gives. The Greek word translated “right” is ‘exousia’ – authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength. ‘Exousia’ is the liberty and right to use power. Jesus gave those who believed in him the ‘exousia’ to become the child of God – he gave them the liberty and right to be saved – not forced to be saved.
No person can become a child of God bypassing Jesus. Jesus Christ says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT) He also says, “I am the gate …” And that is the entrance or door you pass through to reach God. (John 10:9) Jesus is the entrance to the Kingdom of God. And those who believe in Jesus are given the right to be called the children of God.
The Book of John 1:13 we have seen, shows that becoming a son of God “is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan.” That means not out of a decision of a man and a woman or husband and wife but that of God. If it were a decision based on your parents’ decision, you would be the child of your parents. But we are the children of God not by any other decision but by the right that Jesus conferred on us.
Jesus first enjoyed Fatherhood and later introduced us into this relationship with God. You may know that God is the Creator of the heaven and the earth but do you see God as your Father? There is a dimension of God many, including several born again children of God, are not yet enjoying – the Fatherhood of God, which was a priority in Jesus’ teaching.
For instance, when Jesus was teaching his disciples what is popularly called “The Lord’s Prayer” he didn’t start saying, “God, our Maker, the Almighty” He said, “Our Father, who art in heaven…” And if you read through the Bible, particularly, the Book of John, you’ll discover that, more than anything else, Jesus wanted to tell the disciples God was their Father.
The Holy Spirit wants you to understand this very important aspect of God. There is the dimension of God being our Father; it transcends just knowing Him as the omnipotent, the omniscient and the omnipresent. Yes, it is good to know all that about the qualities of God but God wants you to be able to relate with Him as your Father who is in heaven.
I hope you were blessed reading this message today. God’s desire is that you become His child. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, you need to understand God’s responsibility to you as your Father and your responsibility to Him as His child. These we shall be looking at in subsequent editions of this series. If you’re not yet a child of God, you should make this decision now.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, I invite you to take the following steps:*Admit you’re a sinner and you can’t save yourself; repent and confess your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible -teaching church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (3)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Praise God! You’re welcome again to you favourite column. I believe God will bless you richly as you read today’s message.
Last week, I said that Jesus first enjoyed the Fatherhood of God and then introduced us to this dimension of God so that we too will see God as our Father and begin to relate with Him as such.
But before we go into that in detail, prior to Jesus coming as recorded in the New Testament, God related to the children of Israel as Father in the Old Testament. However, they betrayed the Fatherhood of God. They did not relate with God as true children.
God had to tell them that they didn’t know Him as their Father. He complained that if He were actually their father they would not behave the way they did.
Because of Abraham God had decided to choose the nation of Israel and he was relating with them as Father and expected them to relate with him as children. This is also His expectation of us today.
There is the responsibility of a father to his children and that of the children to their father. And when you fail to do what you’re supposed to do as a child to your father, you may also deprive yourself of the responsibility of your father to you. When you fail to do what a child is supposed to do for or to the father, you’ll lose what you should enjoy or receive from your father. And God does not want us to miss that in His relationship with us.
God’s Fatherhood in the Old Testament
Let us examine from God’s Word in the Old Testament and see some instances when God was referred to as the Father of the children of Israel and where they referred to God as their Father. We’re going to see also where God referred to the people as His children and Himself as their Father.
This will change your attitude towards God and enrich your relationship with Him. You’ll not see God as just an “old man up there” looking for your mistakes and your faults in order to judge you, condemn you and punish you. No. You’ll see Him more as the loving Father – your Father who is in heaven.
It doesn’t matter what your earthly father is doing or is not doing when you know that you have a Father who is in heaven. He is the Father of the fatherless.
“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.” (Ps 68:5 NKJV) Ps 10:14 also describes God as “the helper of the fatherless.” (NKJV) The New Living Translation renders Ps 10:14 thus: “You are the defender of orphans.”
God is a responsible Father, and you must be a responsible child for you to enjoy the benefits that a child ought to from his Father, the Most Responsible Father. “Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, LORD, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.” (Isa 63:16 NLT)
The children of Israel, in this passage, referred to God as their Father. They said if their forefathers, Abraham and Jacob, who were long dead and didn’t know their condition, had no capacity to help them, they knew God was there for them as the immortal Father. Our earthly father may die or be unable to help us; our Father in heaven never dies! He is the Ancient of days. (Daniel 7:13, 22) He can do all things. (Job 42:2)Matt 19:26 says, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (ASV)
I believe the message today has given you more understanding on the Fatherhood of God and will help you to develop and intimate relationship with Him. I’ll continue this series next week.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (4)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Some religious people consider it blasphemous to call God Father. This is just sheer religious bigotry. In fact, the Jews as we shall see later, accused Jesus of blasphemy when he said, “God is my Father.” What was blasphemous in that? It is not blasphemous to refer to God as Father. In Isa 64, there is another reference to God as Father. “And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.” (Is 64:8 NLT)
Referring to God as your Father does not diminish the majesty, the greatness, the power and the Excellency of God. It’s just saying the truth of who God is to you if you’ve come into a saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus and therefore come into a personal relationship with Him. God doesn’t want to relate with human beings just on the creator to creature level. No, He wants to relate with human beings as Father to son. “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fathers?” (Mal 2:10 NKJV)
The Father being referred to in that Scripture is not Abraham or Jacob (Israel). This is very interesting. There are two fathers mentioned here. In most Bible translations, the first father starts with capital ‘F’ and is in the singular form, while the second starts with small ‘f’.
The “covenant of the fathers” refers to God’s covenant with the patriarchs. The verse goes on to complain about the unfaithfulness of Judah. They were violating the Word of God – rebelling against Him, living a lawless life. Yet the Israelites were saying, “Have we not all one Father?” They were referring to God as their Father and the same one that created them but they didn’t give Him the honour that was due to Him; they didn’t obey Him. They profaned the covenant of their fathers by breaking faith with one another. They did detestable things – desecrating the holy place of worship and marrying foreign women who polluted the land with their idols. God had to rebuke them: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor” (Mal 1:6 NKJV) See what God Himself told the people in Jer 31:9: “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” (NKJV)
In that Scripture, God was talking about gathering the dispersed people of Israel. That is what a natural father does – takes care of his children, finds out if all is well with them. When you see yourself as a father to somebody and you discover that the person is not relating to you as son, it surprises you. The converse is also true. There are fathers who have also failed their children to the point that those children are disappointed and the relationship is sick; it becomes perfunctory or mechanical, lacking real life.
I cannot finish the line of thought I started sharing with you today. Permit me to stop here and continue next week. I believe you’ve been blessed by the message. The aim of this message is to bring you into an effective relationship with God the Father so that you’ll fulfill your obligations to Him and enjoy the benefits of sonship of God. I believe this message will help you to do just that. See you next week.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, I invite you to take the following steps:*Admit you’re a sinner and you can’t save yourself; repent and confess your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible -teaching church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I’m a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I’m saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (5)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Welcome again to your favourite column. How has the series published so far helped your understanding of the Fatherhood of God? If you missed previous editions, please ask your vendor to help you get them. All the same, I believe the Lord will speak to you again as I bring today’s message to you.
There are two dimensions to father-son relationship – the responsibility of a father to a son and vice versa. Often times in human relationships, many people stress the responsibility of the son to the father alone. That is an incomplete approach. The two are important and must be balanced.
A father will be surprised when he discovers that the son is not relating with him as his father. Do you remember the story of the prodigal son and his brother in Lk 15? The prodigal son took his portion of the father’s wealth, went to a far country and squandered it in riotous living. When he repented and came back home, his father who had been longing to see him threw a party to welcome him back. The prodigal son in spite of his wrong behaviour could come back home because he knew he was a son. And because his father was also a good father, he didn’t reject him. He did what a good father should do.
The father wasn’t like David who didn’t know how to discipline an erring son or how to forgive. For example, when Amnon raped her half sister, Tamar, the Bible says David was only furious – the Bible does not say what else he did. There is no record of disciplining him for his grievous sin. (2Sam 13:21) And when Absalom revenged and killed his half brother, Amnon, for raping his sister, the Bible says, “The king jumped up, tore his robe, and fell prostrate on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.” (2 Sam 13:31 NLT) He didn’t do anything to punish Absalom who anyway had fled.
Though David could be aware that these negative events in his family were a manifestation of the curse by God that the sword would never depart from his house for what he did to Uriah taking his wife and getting him killed, it was most probably a weakness in his personality. (2 Sam 12:10) This defect could be because of the fact that David had suffered rejection as a child – rejection of his father and his brothers. This was evident in how Jesse, his father, excluded him from a very important programme where the next king to replace Saul as the next king of Israel was holding. (1 Sam 16)
David suffered rejection in the family as a child. See how Eliab, his eldest brother despised him at the battle where he killed Goliath. “But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. ‘What are you doing around here anyway?’ he demanded. ‘What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and dishonesty. You just want to see the battle!’” (1Sam 17:28 NLT) He wasn’t appreciated in his family. This could have affected his personality.
Still on David’s weakness as a father – Absalom, after fleeing, stayed for three years in Geshur. King Talmai of Geshur was his grandfather maternal. (2 Sam 13:38, 1 Chro 3:2) 2 Sam 13:39 says about David, “And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.” But when Absalom was eventually allowed to return to Jerusalem, David didn’t seem to have forgiven him wholeheartedly. Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the face of the king. (2 Sam 14:28)
I’m sorry I have to stop here today but I’ll continue next week and talk more about Absalom’s relationship with his father. Act on what God has spoken in this message today; correct yourself where you need to.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you’ll be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (6)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Praise the Lord! I’ve been on this subject for some weeks. Before I stopped last week, I was talking about David’s weakness as a father. I specifically pointed out that when Absalom revenged and killed his half brother, Amnon, for raping his sister, Tamar, the Bible says, “The king jumped up, tore his robe, and fell prostrate on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.” (2 Sam 13:31 NLT) He didn’t do anything to punish Absalom who anyway had fled. When Absalom was eventually allowed to return to Jerusalem, David didn’t seem to have forgiven him wholeheartedly. Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the face of the king. (2 Sam 14:28)
Of course, after protesting against this treatment to Joab, he was summoned by the king and there was a re-union. I’m inclined to think that the seed of rebellion against David was sown in Absalom during that period of isolation by an unforgiving father. Considering what he said to Joab, Absalom must have been frustrated and desperate. “And Absalom replied, ‘Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him execute me.’” (2 Sam 14:32 NLT)
Did you see that Absalom did not seem to realize he did anything wrong by killing his half brother who had raped his own sister? He was wallowing in self-righteousness or self-justification.
David paid dearly for his wrong attitude to his son who he ought to have disciplined and then forgive wholeheartedly. Many parents still make the same mistake today and suffer for it. As I am writing this, I sense the Holy Spirit asking me to emphasize this to parents though this message is on the Fatherhood of God.
The Holy Spirit is telling me to stress to parents not to overdo discipline and destroy their children. It’s one thing to fail to discipline your child; it is another thing not to know the limit of discipline. Disciplining a child on every occasion should not be overdone. It should be for a short time after which you draw the child close in love. Don’t isolate your child long enough for the devil to minister to and possess. Don’t let them become hardened or depressed.
Eph 6, among other things, talks about responsibilities of both parents and children. We must never forget to balance this important relationship. There must be both correct sonship and correct fathering; we mustn’t emphasize one and close our eyes to the other. Children are to obey and honour their parents while fathers (parents) are not to provoke their children to wrath. (Eph 6:1-4) What does it mean not to provoke your child to wrath? J. B Phillips Translation puts it clearly and in simple words: don’t overcorrect. The Twentieth Century New Testament says, “Don’t irritate your children”
The Book of Colossians also gives a similar instruction: “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Col 3:21 NKJV)The New Living Translation says, “Fathers, don’t aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.” The J.B Phillips Translation again renders this verse as “Don’t overcorrect”
We can apply the same instruction given to biological parents to spiritual parents. Only God knows how many parents have violated this instruction while they focus only on what the Bible says to children. Both the children and the parents, biological and spiritual, must align their beliefs and behaviour with the Word of God in order to ensure healthy relationships.
Biological parents and spiritual parents must never feel that they can’t be wrong or they don’t need to change where and when necessary. Only God doesn’t go wrong and doesn’t change. And this isn’t to encourage lawlessness by children but to balance parent- children relationship.
I believe you’ve been blessed today. Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’ll stop here today and continue this message next week when I’ll go back to the story of the prodigal son. May the Lord bless you as you continue to understand the Fatherhood of God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You’ll need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (7)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Glory be to God in the highest! I believe you’ve been enjoying this message, which I began some weeks ago. You may ask your vendor to help you get previous series if you didn’t read them.
I promised last week to go back to the story of the elder brother of the prodigal son I had previously related. (Lk 15:11-31) Whereas the prodigal son repented and returned home as a son after his life had degenerated and hunger had thought him a lesson, the reaction of the elder brother portray him as someone who acted below what is expected of a son despite the fact that he didn’t demand his own portion of the father’s inheritance, did not travel to a far country and did not squander his own portion but stayed back home to serve the father. The elder brother was asking one of his father’s servants, “What is happening there in my dad’s flat?” That sounds more like a servant talking, not a son because he ought to have been bold to go there not trying to inquire from a servants what was happening.
Let us assume he was using his power as a son when he asked the servants what was happening in his father’s house. However, when he was told that it was his brother who had returned and the father had organized a party to welcome him, he didn’t like it. He went out sulking and grumbling until his father went to plead with him and he told his father that he was with his father and he didn’t do anything for him only to lavish a party on a rebellious son who returned home. And the father replied that everything he owned belonged to him and he never stopped him one day from taking anything out of them and enjoying himself with his friends. He didn’t have the mentality of a son and therefore served his father with a servant’s mentality.
The same thing can happen in the Kingdom of God. Our service is supposed to be offered as children or sons of God and not as slaves. A minister of God should not create wittingly or unwittingly a master-servant relationship with his members or ministers under him. But to many leaders, it is easier said than done. However, we should learn from the example of Jesus and even Paul. Each treated his associates as co-workers. In fact, Jesus who is both Lord and Master called his disciples friends rather than servants and wanted them to obey him out of love for him – to love a friend who died for the friends he loved. “I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it — the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey me. I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (Jhn 15:12-15 NLT)
A father, biological or spiritual, should not be relating with his children like the Lord of the manor, a feudal lord or an authoritarian secular Chief Executive. It is a wrong attitude which creates unnecessary communication gap. Both the father and the son have biblical responsibilities but the Bible even expects more maturity on the part of the father.
In the Book of Malachi 1:6, God told the people “If I am your Father where is my honour?” God should be honoured as a Father but He was not honoured. But God did not give up on them.
I’m trying to take you through the Old Testament for you to see that the concept of the Fatherhood of God is not something new. The only difference is that the Fatherhood of God we enjoy in the New Testament is by adoption through Jesus Christ while in the Old Testament, God deliberately decided to choose the nation of Israel, which was a shadow of what would happen in the New Testament. God chose the nation of Israel and the church today is the spiritual Israelites.
Permit me to stop here today. I’ll continue the message next week. If God isn’t your Father yet, you need to cultivate a Father-son relationship with Him today.
TAKE ACTION!
If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God”
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD (8)
BY PASTOR T.O.BANSO
Praise the Lord! I’m glad to continue this series again today. In previous part, I began to take you through the Old Testament for you to see that the concept of the Fatherhood of God is not something new. The only difference is that the Fatherhood of God we enjoy in the New Testament is by adoption through Jesus Christ while in the Old Testament, God deliberately decided to choose the nation of Israel, which was a shadow of what would happen in the New Testament. God chose the nation of Israel and the church today is the spiritual Israelites.
I’ll like to continue from where I stopped last week. I believe God will speak to you as you read.
The Israelites treated God with contempt. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ ‘You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But now entreat God’s favor that He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, will He accept you favorably?’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 1:6-9 NKJV)
A good son won’t do what his father doesn’t like. God wondered if truly He was Father to them because they had denied His Fatherhood doing things that did not please Him.
In the Old Testament, each time they sinned against Him, God would come to punish them, disown them as children and allow t