January DTS 2012

Ever felt that your father was absent or even your mother? Luckily this week in DTS we took a look at God as our Father and Mother.  A Father who loves and provides and who wants His children to have an intimate relationship with Him. A Mother who is caring, compassionate and heart broken to see Her children struggling; to see people die without having a relationship with Him.

Sometimes we have projected the image of our earthly father to the way we see God, and  that stops us from having an intimate relationship with Him as our everlasting and ever loving Father, but today God is calling His sons and daughters with a welcome voice and He waits with an open arms and a warm smile to make us part of His incredible family.

Now we wonder what can we give back to God as our Father, but isn’t it true that the greatest thing we can do is to try to be like the Father? If we love others the way God loves them or forgive others the way God forgives us, God’s heart is skipping a beat. In Matthew 5:48 it is written “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” It doesn’t mean if we are not perfect we aren’t His children it means that our ultimate goal is to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. God brings forgiveness through His Son, forgiveness that sets us free.

I want to quote a verse out of Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” We can’t expect to receive forgiveness if we don’t forgive. Forgiveness brings freedom. Forgiveness opens the way for the Holy Spirit to heal. “So If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9. SO then if we look at our past we see the cross rather than the sin. God sees Jesus in our lives rather than the sin. As we went through the week we saw a part of God’s heart though everyone saw a different part some saw the loving part, others the emotional healing part and a lot saw the forgiveness part etc. The most important thing is that there is a special place for each and everyone in the Father heart of God.

He knows you by name and even know how many hairs there are on your head. Thats amazing… God is a Father that provides. God know what you want but He longs to hear your voice asking it from Him. So this is the challenge ask it from God our Provider. In Matthew 6:26 is written “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” God will provide in His time if we ask from Him and believe it. I want to conclude by saying God is my Father but also your Father. He is gracious, loving, caring, merciful, forgiving, He is a relational God. He knows the best for you. He is everywhere and with everyone; all the time. He hates sin but loves the sinner. He doesn’t change. We are made in His image. Can we have a better Father than this? This is just a summary of what this week meant to me and the best thing is, He has so much more coming for us. Amen.

By Arno from Namibia