I Want To Be Your Father

I WANT TO BE YOUR FATHER – THE CRY FROM A FATHER’S HEART TO US

By Irene McGough

Copyright © 2009 Irene McGough Disciples of Jesus Ministry www.discipleofjesussite.com

OUR FATHER LOVES YOU Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Do you get that if you know Jesus as your Saviour and have the Holy Spirit residing within you God wants to pour out His love in our hearts? He, the Creator of the Universe and all things wants to immerse you and little old me with His love. Isn’t that just wonderful? He wants to pour out the oil of His Spirit all over us, how amazing is that? love, agape (ag-ah-pay); Strong’s #26: A word to which Christianity gave new meaning. Outside of the NT, it rarely occurs in existing Greek manuscripts of the period. Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object. Agape is more a love by choice than philos, which is love by chance; and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world. Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. We can be confident that our hope of great future blessings will come to pass, because the Holy Spirit gives evidence deep in our hearts of God’s love for us as we open up to receive from Him. We didn’t have to make ourselves righteous before God our Father, for God sent Jesus His one and only Son to die for us, to shed His blood for us that our sins might be washed away and we might be saved and reconciled to Father, for He is the Father who cares for you and wants a deep relationship with you. . God’s covenant love reaches beyond our justification but the shedding of Christ’s blood was for our reconciliation into a real living relationship with Him and faith in His blood and the power of the blood of Jesus should lead to victorious triumphant living for us, triumphing over sin and all that comes against us.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. We should recognise the love that God has for us, for God is love and He is our Father. Abiding in love is stated here to be abiding in God, so we should flee from sin, including harbouring any ill feeling towards our brothers and sisters, for God expects us to walk in love and harmony with one another. 1Jn 3:1 SEE WHAT [ an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. (AMPLIFIED) My sentiments go along with John’s here, isn’t it truly amazing the love that the father has for you and I, that we should be permitted to come into His presence, that we should be adopted into His family , made heirs of the Kingdom (see Jas2:5) Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba Father." 1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We belong to a Father who has adopted us into His family. The Holy Spirit assures us that we are indeed children of God. Abba is the Aramaic word for Father or really an affectionate term Daddy. Jer 32:38 They will be my people, I will be their God. Jer 32:39 I'll make them of one mind and heart, always honoring me, so that they can live good and whole lives, they and their children after them. Jer 32:40 What's more, I'll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a covenant to stick with them no matter what, and work for their good. I'll fill their hearts with a deep respect for me so they'll not even think of turning away from me. Jer 32:41 "'Oh how I'll rejoice in them! Oh how I'll delight in doing

good things for them! Heart and soul, I'll plant them in this country and keep them here!' (MSG) Yes this was directed at the restoration of Israel but look here at those verses. Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed, who is Christ. Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. So that includes you and I, we are Abraham’s seed, the promises are ours too, God wants to establish you and I with all His heart and soul. Wow! Jer 33:3 "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' When we cry out to Him he hears us, He desires to show us great and marvellous things. Psa 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Father God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, when we seek Him and amazingly He is the one who gave us those desires in the first place. (See Phil 2:13). Let’s take a look at how Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. Eph 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 3:15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-Eph 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Eph 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. He was a man who knew the Father’s heart of God and He prayed for them as he would pray for us to be granted according to the riches of his glory to be mightily strengthened through the Spirit indwelling them and that they might conceive the fullness of God’s love which passes knowledge and be full of the Spirit. Jesus Himself prayed for us in John chapter 17. Joh 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; Joh 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. Joh 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: Joh 17:23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Joh 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Joh 17:25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. Joh 17:26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." Jesus states that He has given us His glory, do you get a grip of that? He prayed that we His bride might be united in Him, that we might be as one , that the world of onlookers might believe that He is the Messiah sent by God when they see the love of Christ in us and the unity. Oh, that Jesus might be seen in us in such a way that people around us will see Jesus in us and come to a knowledge of our Lord. Jesus desires that we might be with Him where He is, that we might behold His glory, which the Father has given to Him.

Abba Father wants us to truly know Him as our Heavenly Father, not just know of Him, He wants us to seek after Him, to know how much He loves us and that He is really rooting for us. He wants us to know His Father’s heart and in turn show His love to others and to walk in close relationship with Him. I WANT TO BE YOUR FATHER. Many of us were born into a safe environment, we knew what it was to have parents who loved us. Others have never really known what it was to really experience that love. Generally speaking though children should be carefree, contained in their own world with the pressures of life far removed from them. As we grow up we learn that everything is not so perfect and we build walls around us to protect us from hurts. We find it hard to totally trust anyone and expose our deepest feelings, for we develop a fear of man. We try to live self- reliant lives and wonder why often things seem to collapse round about us. Adam was a man who walked in perfect harmony with God. In the Garden of Eden there was an atmosphere of perfect love between Adam and God , yet here we have an adult man fully dependent on God. The fall meant that the beauty of that relationship has been lost by mankind but the wonder of it all is: it is ours to regain. The Father has cried out to His people Deut 32:5-6 Deu 32:5 "They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. Deu 32:6 Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. Isa 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; Isa 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Isa 43:4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Isa 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; Isa 43:6 I will say to the north, "Give them up!' And to the south, "Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth-Isa 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." Jer 3:19 "But I said: "How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?' "And I said: "You shall call Me, "My Father," And not turn away from Me.' God is our Father and He desires to reveal more of Himself to us. He wants us to really know what it is to be part of His family. Man’s sin separated us from Him but He in His grace and mercy found a way for our sin to be dealt with so we could be united to Him again. God's heart

2Co 6:17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 2Co 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty

We can leave the ways of the world and become the sons and daughters that God intended.. We can have the relationship with God that we were made for! Look again at Is 43:6. The sons of God will be collected from the four corners of the earth. Fatherhood is personal He does not want to be a distant Father. He is not afar off, for He desires to draw near to you. He wants us to draw close to Him. He is not standing there waiting to wave a big stick of judgment. Our experience of our own fathers can affect how we view God. Even a good father is limited by human weaknesses and inadequacies. God is not just 'Father of creation' or 'Father of all'. He wants you to know Him personally and intimately as your Father – Abba Father- Daddy.

We can have a wrong view of what Fatherhood is about : 1.You inherit your father’s genes and that’s it. 2. Your father may have been absent either because he was not there or was too busy to be involved. 3. Fathering means domination, control, manipulation or anger. Isa 63:16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

Jer 3:19 "But I said: "How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?' "And I said: "You shall call Me, "My Father," And not turn away from Me.' 2Co 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." “I will be a Father to you” How amazing is that he wants us to know true intimacy with Him. GOD IS OUR FATHER. Fathering is a lifelong process. Good fathers teach their kids about life. They help them when they are stuck, and offer advice and encouragement – they don't leave small children to their own devices. God wants to be an active Father to us, on a day to day basis. He will not leave us to carry on in our own strength. He is our refuge and our strength. He calls us into the shelter of His wings to protect us, care for us, nurture us and lead us in His ways. We are not orphans We do not want to be fatherless orphans, do we? A fatherless child has no name, no identity, no rights and no inheritance. He has to make his own identity for himself. An orphan has to be independent and make his own way in life, fending for himself and look for man’s approval. The church has lots of spiritual orphans; people who strive to be good and to work for Him, to keep busy even being about the Lord’s work to earn His approval. God is Father and He does not want us to be orphans. He wants to father us! He has adopted us into His family. We as Christians are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. I will not leave you as orphans Joh 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

We are no longer orphans for we have been reconciled to the Father through the Son, the emptiness of our hearts can be dealt with. We can enjoy the same type of intimacy and closeness in our relationship with God the Father that Adam and Eve first enjoyed. We are heirs to the promises of the scriptures. We don’t need to walk alone for we can enjoy the freedom of being a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. This is what John 3:16 is all about. God wants to reveal Himself to us as 'Father' and He wants to be a Father to us, day by day, in every area of our lives, giving us a life worth living and changing us constantly by transforming and renewing our minds in this relationship. Sons and daughters are not like orphans: we have rights, an inheritance and a place in the family. We can know that we are loved for who we are. This is a free gift from God, it is not earned because of what we do but given to us because of who we are. Rooted and established in love Eph 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 3:15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-Eph 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. He has given us a name. v15. God has unlimited riches and resources. V16 . We are blessed and can afford to bless others We have strength and power from the Holy Spirit. V16 Christ the Son dwells in our hearts through faith. V17

He has are rooted and grounded us in love - a strong connection to the magnitude of God's love. V17 V18 We can understand the width, length, height and depth of God's love: o o o o

Width – a broad experience, reaching across the whole world. Length – eternal love Heights – the wonder of that love, the magnitude of love Depth - there is no love greater or deeper.

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We can really know the love of Christ in such a deep and profound way and that love that goes beyond our human understanding and we can be filled with all the fullness of the Godhead, filling us up to overflowing, so that Jesus and the Father are seen in us, because we are being changed into His likeness, remember we are made in their image.

.God says to us "I WILL BE A FATHER TO YOU AND YOU WILL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS" I SEE GOD AS MY FATHER He indeed as my Father but thee are also aspects in His nature where we can see He loves like a mother loves too. Don’t think I see God as female for that is not what I am saying here. Matt. 23:37 “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. A mother has a strong desire to gather her children together. She wants to see her family united in harmonious bliss– all the children together. Is. 49:14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.”

Is. 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Is. 49:16 “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. A nursing child is totally dependent upon his or her mother. It’s the time of the most intimate bonding between mother and child. Is. 66:12 For thus says the LORD, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river,And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. Is. 66:13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.” God will comfort His people like a mother nursing – fed, carried on the hip, and played with on the knee – bringing joy and laughter Psa. 131:1 O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Psa. 131:2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. Psa. 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever. A child enjoys the love of a mother. Don’t become proud. A mother loves you for who you are not what you do. A child feels safe and secure resting on the heart of a mother. A weaned child enjoys his/her mother not because of what she provides. A weaned child simply delights in the unconditional love of a mother. No one can comfort like our God. Deut. 32:9 “For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. Deut. 32:10 “He found him in a desert land,

And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. Deut. 32:11 “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. A mother has a deep desire to see her children succeed. A mother trains her children and even like the eagle sometimes pushes them out of the nest, but she’s there to catch them if they fall. She’ll believe in her child over and over again even when they have fallen down. Her love is unconditional, as is the Lord's Num. 11:12 “Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? Num. 11:13 “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ Num. 11:14 “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. God tells Moses, “Take care of My children like a nurse would a nursing infant.” Provide for them. Moses caught the burden of God. 1Th. 2:7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 1Th. 2:8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. A mother tenderly cares with fond affection for her children. They are very dear to her. Paul walked in this grace of a compassionate heart like that of a mother’s heart. The way he led was with a gentle spirit, tenderly caring, being affectionate and prepared to give his very life for the sake of others, that others might come home to father, that others might know the glorious gospel message of salvation available to them.

. MY DEAR CHILD “Come and drink from the fountain of life, Living waters are gushing forth bringing refreshment, I want to give you such an abundant life, You are thirsty child, come enter my tabernacle tent. Bring all your worries and concerns to me, Your struggles and anxieties I can see, And I long to give you rest and peace, For my love for you will never ever cease. Come closer child, can’t you feel my sweet caress, You have been through trials and out to the test, Yet I have seen you praising in the midst of it all, I have heard you crying out in the desert place and my Name call. Now I want to take you out of that dry and barren land, And bring you right into the future I have planned, I am your strong tower and I will give you strength, Lean on me, rest in me and you will endure to the end. I want to give you beauty for ashes, my dear one, That joy you once knew I want to restore, But not only that I really want to give you more, Every fear you have will be washed away and gone. So come now it is time for you to enter my rest, Walk along with me and you will experience the best, That this life has to offer for I have plans to prosper you, You are sealed by me and I will not harm you. Come and enter right in to the land of milk and honey, For in my presence my dear child I want you to stay, I am in the business of refining you through fire, For you dear one are part of the bride I desire. So come forth, rise up you are beautiful to me, I want to lavish my love upon you can’t you see, Cast your burdens down at the foot of the cross, For I do not want you to suffer more loss. You shall overcome for my blood for you was shed,

And now you will walk in victory as my Word said, I want to assure you that I am your refuge and strength, Keep your armour intact and stay in a position of strength. I will bless all that you do or say as you fulfil your destiny, For I had a purpose and a plan for you laid out before time, Even then I had ordained that you would be mine, So won’t you just come into my arms and rest in me.”

Love from Jesus NO LONGER ORPHANS Our Father has adopted us into his family, We are no longer orphans without an abode, He calls us His children so know you are loved, For we will find rest and peace in God’s family. Abba Father loves us and says we are accepted, Chase after His heart, for He calls us His beloved, Just love Him and seek to pursue His Presence, Daily He will reveal more to us of His gentleness. So long to be holy for He is a Holy God, He draws us into the secret place alone with God, Our Father is gracious, merciful and good to us, Though undeserving He showers blessings on us.. Our Father gently chastises us when we get it wrong, Repent and He says “My child you are forgiven,” He is patient and kind and does not hold past sins against us, As far as the East is From the West He removed our transgressions from us. And we can enjoy that sweet intimacy with our Heavenly Father, For we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He calls us His children and says “Come child, come up hither, I want to reveal more to you as promised in My Word.”

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Copyright © 2009 Irene McGough Disciples of Jesus Ministry www.discipleofjesussite.com