The One Very Thing

Psalm 66:16
"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul."

There are many things, many niceties & goodies my children have that I didn't have growing up. I don't begrudge them for it. In fact, I'm the main contributor who indulges them because I love them. True love cannot be expressed in the giving of material things, I know. But, as a father, I can't help but buy them things that I know will delight them, make them smile and happy.

However, there is one thing my children have right now that I didn't have when I was their age, which I do take them to task on. Indeed, my heart envies the one very thing that each of them have that I wish I had had as a little boy growing up in the Southside of San Antonio, a poor working class neighborhood where you had to grow a set of eyes on the back of your head just to watch your back. In the barrio kids grow up fast. My childhood was no exception. But, I digress.

The one thing I envy that my children have in their possession, the very thing that I would've liked to be an owner of was a relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing up Roman Catholic meant going to mass on Sundays, confessing your sins to a priest on Saturday, eating fish on Fridays and feeling empty every day. It's like I sensed something was missing. That something, turned out, was Someone by the name of Jesus Christ.

How sadly ironic that in a house of worship I didn't even know the Master of the house! The good news is that Christ waited patiently for me and I came to know Him as Lord and Saviour in March 2004.

Since being born again, Jesus has shown Himself to be true to His Holy Word. Jesus has been my Provider, Sustainer, Healer, Intercessor, Protector and Comforter, to name a few. My family and I have gone through alot and yet He has been with us, giving us peace, every step of the way. Truly, a relationship with Jesus Christ was the one very thing I was missing in my life. Now that I have it, I don't intend to give it up or walk away from it, come what may.

Dear Reader, I don't know where you are in life. If you're poor, rich, male, female, adult or teen. You may be an American. Or, you could be from one of the many nations that read this blog daily. In any event, I want to personally thank you for taking the time to read these posts.

It's my hope and prayer that when you read these posts that you have your Bible (preferably the King James Version) in your hand. And that when you consider the words on your computer screen, it's my sincere desire to see each and every one of you to personally know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Furthermore, if you already have a relationship with Jesus, it's my motivation that you draw even closer, nearer to the Lord through His Word.

Let's face it, there are 2 types of people in the world, irrespective of nationality, creed or culture: Those who need Jesus and those who need more of Jesus.

In a world of greed & poverty; information overload & confusion; technological advancements and abject misery; moral relativism & spiritual darkness, there is One who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). And, a personal relationship with Him is the one very thing this world needs and it's what you need.

Can you honestly say that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Saviour?

It's not too late, you know. It's never too late. I Want A Relationship With Jesus.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
fill me with Thy love and power;
let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

The Heart of the Father

Ephesians 6:4

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

God is the Father who sent his Son to seek that which was lost (Luke 19:10), to redeem that which was perishing (Gal. 4:5). Sadly, we take our own personal experiences with our earthly fathers, or lack thereof, and project them unto God. Here are some examples:

1. The angry, unpredictable father instills fear in his children and teaches them that God is a tyrant who lashes out unexpectedly.

2. A critical, demanding dad makes his kids feel inadequate. They see God as a strict taskmaster who's never pleased.

3. The uninvolved or absent father sends the message that his children are unimportant, and both he and God are too busy for them, or too disengaged and distant.

4. A macho dad's tough, uncaring nature leads his children to feel unloved and conclude that the Lord doesn't love them either.

5. A fault-finding or abusive father conveys that his child is worthless and God is full of condemnation.

                                                                                 (courtesy of Dr. Charles F. Stanley)

The Christian father is really an instrument in God's hand. A father’s first responsibility is to acquaint his children with Scripture. The whole process of instruction and discipline must be that which God commands through His holy word. God's authority begins and ends with the Bible. Indeed, God's word should have ongoing contact with the mind, heart, and conscience of children. How is this possible? The human father should never present himself as the ultimate authority to determine truth and duty. It is only by making God the teacher and the authority of every facet of life, public and private, in social settings and in solitude, that He truly becomes our Father.

So, the charge for those who are fathers is to put full faith and obedience to God's word. To trust and obey. And, the admonition for those who never knew their fathers or never had a relationship with their father is this: Forgive. Yes, forgive them.

Don't carry the weight of bitterness and anger with you (see Job 21:25; Heb. 12:15). If you're a man, an angry disposition will slowly turn you into the very father you hate. If you're a woman, an unforgiving spirit will eat you up and destroy every relationship you have with men.

Yes, forgive them and remember God's love toward you through Jesus Christ his Son:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5

Thus, we're born again by the resurrection of Christ, who died for your sins and your father's sins. It is a living hope and will not diminish. He will keep you by His awesome power through your faith in Christ Jesus.

Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me! And for you, too!

If you seek a relationship with God the Father, here's how! The Plan of Salvation