Knowing the Father. At church camp years ago we sang a song that changed my life. The name of the song "The Greatest Thing In All My Life Is Knowing You". It was that song and the message following that brought clarity to my Christian walk. Oh I want to know God! I hunger for Him and His will to be accomplished in His people. This Bible study was birthed from those desires.
Knowing The Father!
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Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7 "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Getting to know the Father’s heart is to walk with intimacy with the Father. The scriptures reveals the Father’s heart and His longing and desire for fellowship with you. Jesus' parables often was a reflection of the Father’s heart toward you and I. There is great comfort in knowing that God wants to shepherd us! His heart is to leave the ninety-nine and come and find you and me. The Father is seeking you and desires that you walk in victory and fellowship with Him! So you feel lonely, separated, and wounded? God is looking for you. He wants to wrap His loving arms around you and lay you on His shoulder! The fullness of your restoration brings great joy in all of heaven! Oh, that we might know the Father better!
Luke 15:8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
What a revelation of God’s heart. God holds great value for you. Are you the tenth coin God is looking for? Yes, He has nine but He knows He really has ten! All of heaven is stilled while The Father is lighting the lamp, sweeping the house carefully until He has found you. You did not chose God; God chose you! At the finding of the precious all the angels of God are rejoicing! You are precious in the sight of God
Luke 15:11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 "And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' 20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. 25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 "So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' 28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
This parable is often preached out of context! Many have given it the name “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”. To put the parable back into the context of which it was written I want to rename it. Let’s call it “The Parable of the Misunderstood Father”. You see, this father had two sons; their perspective of their father caused both sons to make decision based upon that perspective. What you think of God the Father determines how you will serve Him. Yes, one son had prodigal living, but one son had miserly living. What a truth about the Father, He longs for all His son to be in the house. He wants to clothe us in His robes of righteousness! He does not want us to stand as slave but as sons. While many have preached beautiful messages on the prodigal son, we should gain understanding about the son who stayed home. Hear the Father’s words. Son you are always with me, all that I have is yours. The elder son never walked in the privileges of being a son of the house. He was looking for his father to bless him… What a revelation, son it all belongs to you already. Partake of what is yours! Whether you are the prodigal or the son who remained home, your revelation of the Father’s love needs to increase. You can partake from the comfort of the inheritance right now in the Father’s house. The Father wants you to have the sandals, robe, and a ring. The sandals say you are a son of the house, the robe speaks you have the Father’s favor, and the ring says you have all rights and privileges as one with authority in the house. Oh that we might know the Father better.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Walk in the strength that the Father only gives good gifts. It is His heart toward His children. Many false doctrines have tried to cast a shadow upon the goodness of God. Other errors have tried to add a variable that would change what came from the Father. Throw out the traditions that cast a shadow or bring a variable against the Father’s loving hand.
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
What a promise, what a proverb!
John 8:38 "I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."
Jesus' very words were birthed from what He sees with His Father! Oh that we might gain a greater revelation of the Father. Jesus spoke healing, hope, and victory; it is what He sees with His Father. Can we believe the Father to always leads us into triumph?
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 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. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
How great is the Father’s love toward us? We do not have to have any fear on the day of judgment. Many have known the love of God. However, do you dare believe and rely upon the His great love. Do you believe in the love of God to such a degree that you know as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Love perfected among us gives us boldness on the day of judgment. Oh that we might know the Father better.
1 John 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. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
The children of God should not live in fear; fear involves torment! My heart is grieved, so many Christians are walking in fear, loneliness, and despair. The enemy of our soul has been allowed to blind us to our loving Father. Lift up your eyes upon the goodness of God! We need to begin to meditate upon the truth of God’s word and exalt it above our circumstances. The strongholds of the enemy are only brought down by exalting the truth of Jesus Christ above the thoughts and imagination of our own souls.
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
When love is made perfect among us it is the love of Christ that compels us! Genuine salvation changes the course of the believers life. If you are born again it is not self centeredness any longer; your desire is to live for the one who died and rose again. The new perspective is to regard no one according to the flesh. What does it mean to regard no one after the flesh? If we can get this revelation we would be on solid ground to minister to the weak, hurting, wounded, and broken hearted. It is time for the church to arise and see one another after the newly created being God has made. When I pray for people I want to see them the way God sees them. I want to let the secret out. The Father was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. It is the Father’s will and purpose not to impute trespasses; His desire is for complete reconciliation. Oh that we gain a greater revelation to the goodness of the Father!
Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
It is the Father Himself who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints. It is the Father who has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Oh that our revelation of God is so big that we know and believe the love the Father Has for us.
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