An Inheritance From a Good Father
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A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Introduction.
Introduction.
My Favorite Illustrations Like Father …
A small boy sat at the dinner table shoving in food with both hands. His father said, “Son, don’t make a pig out of yourself!” When this didn’t slow the boy down, the father asked, “Son, do you know what a pig is?” Still shoving in the food, the boy replied, “Yes, sir. It’s an old hog’s little boy.”
1. A Good Father is Difficult to Find.
1. A Good Father is Difficult to Find.
“A Good Man leaves an Inheritance”. Good men are harder to find than pianos at a Church of Christ Convention. Why is that? Because our culture doesn’t value fatherhood.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.4 million children, 1 in 4,
live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.
That’s enough children to fill New York City twice or Los Angeles four times over.
Research shows that a father's absence affects children in numerous unfortunate ways,
while a father's presence makes a positive difference in the lives of both children and mothers.
Children without fathers present:
4x Greater Risk of Poverty
More Likely to Have Behavioral Problems
2x Greater Risk of Infant Mortality
More Likely to Go to Prison
More Likely to Commit Crime
7x More Likely to Become Pregnant as a Teen
More Likely to Face Abuse and Neglect
More Likely to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol
2x More Likely to Suffer Obesity
2x more Likely to Drop Out of School
Fathers are often portrayed as goofballs drinking beer and watching sports and telling bad jokes. I challenge you to find a positive father figure in today’s media. Ward Cleaver and Andy Taylor have become Homer Simpson.
The portrayal of fathers in commercials and advertising play a huge role in how we see fathers. Studies show commercials rarely portray men as nurturers. Brown points out one study found "when fathers were included in commercials, none of them were portrayed as nurturers whereas half of mothers were portrayed as nurturers (Gentry & Harrison, 2010)."
In my lifetime detergent ads have changed to feature mostly men. Staying at home while Mom works, and not even doing a good job of staying home.
Where will we look to find the example of a good Father? The Bible.
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
He’s a good father. He’ll command his children.
He was father of the year because He put God first.
The Bible tells us God is our Father.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Oh, isn’t He a good God? Jesus, is so good to us! And it’s well expressed, that, “Our God is a good God.” He is so good to His children! He has provided every good thing for us. Everything that we have need of, He has provided it.
Truly you could say, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven,” because He is a Father. And though we be disobedient, though we be arrogant, He still provides for us just the same. Whether we are good or whether we are bad, He gives us food to eat, clothes to wear, house to dwell in. Oh, He is so good!
If we would just look around and count the good things that He is to us! We don’t stop to consider that. What if you had no eyes? What if you had no nose, you had no mouth, you had no ears? What if you had no feet or limbs, and could not walk around?
But, see, He provided you feet. What if you had no eyes and could not see; and, yet, you could hear noises, but you knew not what they were? Now, them is all in the five senses that He provides.
But then, if we’ll just live close to Him, He’ll provide something else for us. That is an insight, that we can see what the ordinary person never sees. When we’re born again, we see Him.
“You know Him. You have seen Him. He will abide with you forever.” Oh, He is a good Father. He is the Fountain of goodness, the great resource of all goodness and Fatherhood belongs in our God. 61-1001E - The Comforter
2. A Good Father Leaves an Inheritance Beyond His Immediate Family.
2. A Good Father Leaves an Inheritance Beyond His Immediate Family.
He “leaves an inheritance to His children’s children.”
That means the inheritance is not diminished by generation.
The Holy Ghost is the earnest of our inheritance.
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
This inheritance is not diminished or used up.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Now we know exactly from the Word which was recorded by the Holy Spirit how the first, or original church, was founded and how God manifested Himself in her. The Word can’t change or be changed because the Word is God. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
To change one word of it, as did Eve, brings sin and death, even as it says in Revelation 22:18-19, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Thus, what the church was at Pentecost is the standard. That is the pattern. There is no other pattern. No matter what the scholars say, God has NOT changed that pattern. What God did at Pentecost He has to keep on doing until the church ages close.
Though scholars may tell you the apostolic age is over, don’t you believe it. Such a statement is wrong on two counts. First of all, it is wrong to suppose there aren’t any more apostles, just because the original twelve are dead. An apostle means a “sent one”; and there are many sent ones today, but they are called missionaries.
As long as men are being called and sent forth with the Word of Life there is an apostolic age going on. Secondly, they refer to an age of “manifested Holy Ghost power” as being over since the Bible has been completed. That is untrue. There is not even one Scripture that suggests that, but many conclusively state otherwise.
Here is our proof that both of these charges are false. Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
The promise of power with which the apostles were endued at Pentecost is to “you (Jews), and to your children (Jews), and to all that are afar off (Gentiles), and to as many as the Lord our God shall call (both Jew and Gentile).” Until He stops calling, the Pentecostal message and power will NOT CEASE.
What the church had at Pentecost is her inalienable right. Originally, she had the pure Word of God. She had the power of the Spirit manifested in divers signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Ghost. CAB 03 - Ephesian
Bro. Branham goes on to read Hebrews 2:1-4.
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
This is my inheritance, from a Good Father.
Salvation.
Sanctification.
Healing.
Gifts of the Spirit.
Five-fold ministry
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: For the Lord will do great things.
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: For the pastures of the wilderness do spring, For the tree beareth her fruit, The fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: For he hath given you the former rain moderately, And he will cause to come down for you the rain, The former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
And the floors shall be full of wheat, And the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, The cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, That hath dealt wondrously with you: And my people shall never be ashamed.
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the Lord your God, and none else: And my people shall never be ashamed.
And it shall come to pass afterward, That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions:
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids In those days will I pour out my spirit.
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, As the Lord hath said, And in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
Peter gives us the revelation.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Now you tell me, is God still calling? If God is still calling, then the apostolic age is still in existence. Certainly! As many as the Lord our God shall call, ever call, ever will call, as many as He shall call, it will still be the apostolic age, for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 65-0118 - The Seed Of Discrepancy
Yes, sir, it’s time to return. “Return to what, Brother Branham? Return back to the organization I come out of?” No, return back to your Inheritance, the Inheritance that our Father left us. “How did He…What kind of an Inheritance did He leave?” “Wait ye, in the city of Jerusalem until you’re endued with Power from on High.” That’s the Inheritance.
Not, “Go, join this one, and go join that one, go join this one.” Wait till the Power comes from on High. “How long?” Until. “One day? Two days?” Wait until. Don’t take some little emotion, some little flusteration, wait there until you are dead and buried and borned again anew in Christ Jesus, and every pulsation of your life beats out Jesus Christ, till you can see the Life of Christ reflected right in your living, the way you go, yes, sir, till you can find that Power like they had back there in beginning.
Back to a Pentecostal Inheritance. Yes, sir. That’s your Possession, denomination is not your possession, Pentecost is your Possession, not a Pentecostal organization, your fathers come out of such a thing, the Pentecostal Experience is your Possession. 62-1122 - Return And Jubilee
This is what a Good Father does.
He wants to give you good things.
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Now, how are we planted? We’re planted in Christ Jesus. Now, I believe, just in my estimation of Him. He’s the inexhaustible fountain of Life, that you cannot exhaust His goodness. Some people think, “Oh, I hate to call on God so much.” That’s what He wants you to do.
“You have not because you ask not. You ask not because you believe not. Ask abundantly that your joys might be full.” That’s what God wants: Ask big things. I’m asking for hundreds of souls in this meeting. I’m asking that every sick person enters that door will go out of here well. I’m believing it. 60-0729 - What It Takes To Overcome All Unbelief: Our Faith
One time, standing, looking upon the harvest; Jesus, He said, “The harvest is ripe. The labourers are few. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest.” And He was the Lord of the harvest.
“You have not because you ask not. You ask not because you believe not. Ask abundance, that your joys might be full.” He is depending on you asking, and believing that you receive what you ask for. 64-0401 - The Identified Christ Of All Ages
Caleb was a Good Father.
And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?
Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Jabez prayed “enlarge my territory”. Caleb said “Give me my mountain”. Acsah said “Give me springs of water”.
My daughters love to ask me for big things, because they believe I’m a good father. I don’t always have it to give, but our Father who dwells in Heaven has everything we need. What do you need? Ask your father, He’ll give it to you.