How to be a father
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How To Be A Father
How To Be A Father
We live in a largely unfathered generation. Rediscover and connect with God, our Heavenly Father, who created the world as a father.
The fatherhood of God is the great fact behind the universe. There is a Father who is our God - a Father who created the universe as a Father. As such, He has left the imprint of His fatherhood on every aspect of the entire universe.
Fatherhood is eternal in God and every earthly father represents God to his family
Old Covenant —> Father brought the revelation of His Son Yeshua the Messiah
New Covenant —> Son Yeshua the Messiah directed us all to the Father
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Bosom this is the place closest to to His heart. It is the place where one person might lay his head on another when desiring closeness or protection.
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
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.”
Name - Father
Explain my experience of loosing my earthly father
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
When I think of the greatness of this great plan I fall on my knees before God the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name)- Philips translation
17 Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change.
The chain of Authority -God the Father —> Christ —> Husband —> Wife
The earthly father represents Christ in three main ministries to the family
Priest, Prophet and King
Biblical Patterns of Fatherhood
1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Noah’s righteousness obtained admission to the ark for his whole family.
17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
God chose Abraham because He could count on him to fulfill his responsibilities to his family. From this would result national greatness.
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Because Joshua was faithful as Priest, Prophet and King to his family, God gave him the privilege of making decisions that were effective for his whole family.
5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Job ministered as a true Priest for his family.
22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
The father of the epileptic boy exercised faith for his son’s deliverance.
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
The gospel gives to each father the right to believe for the salvation of his family.
Results of father’s failure
41 You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity.
Children become a curse instead of a blessing
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
A generation of God forgotten children
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
The earth smitten with a divine curse, behind which lies the sinister power of witchcraft
German proverb: “To become a father is not hard, but to be one is very hard
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
The key word is “provide.”
A father must provide for his family on two levels:
Material, as “breadwinner”
Spiritual, as priest, prophet and king
Six Practical Steps To Fulfilling Your Responsibilities As A Father
Recognize your position
Admit your failures—to God and to your family
Accept your responsibilities
Review your priorities—give time to the things that matter most
Trust God to supply the grace you need
Upon this basis, God will honor your office