The greater we know Him the greater we walk in the abundant life! Oh that we might know the Father better.
Knowing The Father Part 3
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John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Jesus was motivated by what He saw the Father do! Whatever He saw the Father do is what Jesus did! What motivates you and your actions? Jesus spent His life living from the Father’s perspective!
John 5:30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
Jesus spent a lifetime on earth pursuing the will of the Father.
Luke 2:46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
One brief glimpse of Jesus' childhood finds Him in pursuit of doing the will of His Father! “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.” What motivates you and what is your driving force? Jesus lived with the perspective of the Father! God calls us to live with His perspective.
Luke 11:2 So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
The prayer life of every believer should be filled with asking the Father for His will to done on earth as it is in heaven. Live your life with God’s mercy in full view.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Do you want to know the Father’s heart? The Father calls us to endurance; run the race to win! Consider Jesus! There is a truth the Author and Finisher of your faith declares to you by His own example. Jesus did not face the cross without a vision and a understanding of the will of the Father! There was joy set before Him that gave Him the strength to endure the cross. The joy set before Him brought endurance and endurance brought Him to His rightful place, sitting at the right hand of the Father. Are you weary, tired, and thoughts plaguing you to quit? Put the mercy of God in view! Consider Jesus who endured such hostility from sinners; you have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin! While you may bear the burden of your circumstances it can not begin to compare with bearing the burden of the sin of the world. Give up your burden. Jesus bore it already; don’t receive the grace of God in vain. The sacrifice of Jesus is great enough to lift the burden; however you must turn your eyes upon Jesus! The Father’s promises can be your joy in front of the trial you face!
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
God has an exit strategy for your circumstances! His promises are yes and amen in Jesus Christ. When you put God’s view into your circumstance nothing is impossible!
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Your affliction is but for a moment! The very affliction that we have murmured about is working a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. It is time for us to gain the Father’s eternal perspective! We get weighted down with the temporal while the Father is trying to give us a vision of the eternal. When compared, the weight of eternal glory is much greater than the momentary light affliction. With the joy set before you endure! Don’t give up; don’t quit! You will reap great reward if you will endure to the end! Don’t let the circumstances blind you to the goodness of the Father.
Isaiah 55:10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Eternal perspective is gained by standing in the word that has come from the mouth of God. His word will accomplish what it has been sent out to do! The Father desires to put His word in your mouth. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Rise up in the joy of the Lord and let the peace of God lead you. We are able to go in the joy of the Lord when we have the Father’s perspective. Conversely, if we have no joy it's because the enemy of our soul has us blinded to eternal purpose by temporal circumstances.
Psalms 107:20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.
The Father is calling us to put His word in our mouth! Put a praise on your lips knowing God’s word is greater than your circumstance. Trusting the word will reap the harvest you are longing to see produced. The sacrifice of thanksgiving is speaking to the Father’s heart. The murmuring and complaining is delaying the harvest.
John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
We have lived by what we see; the kingdom of God calls us to live by faith. We have behaved like mere men and contentment has alluded us! Live like the newly created being you are and you will know victory. Don’t judge by appearance; let your judgment be made by the living word of God. Righteous judgment is with the consideration of Jesus' sacrifice. When you see the strength of Jesus' sacrifice you have seen the Father’s heart. See it with the vision the Father has put in your spirit.
Psalms 104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.
You can know the Father’s heart by meditating on His goodness. We have announced what is wrong, nurtured the pain, cursed the weakness, and murmured and complained about the circumstances. We must awaken to the scheme of the enemy. If he can keep the complaint nurtured, rehearsed and thought about, he can keep us trapped in our circumstances. If we will learn to put a praise on our lips and a song in our mouth and learn to have sweet meditation upon our God, the scheme of the enemy will be exposed and dismantled before our eyes.
Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
It is my desire to see this psalm become the prayer of the church. The words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart matter. When you keep your eyes upon Jesus and His goodness, your emotions and intellect will line up with what the Spirit of God is performing in you! I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth; my soul shall make its boast in the Lord!
1 John 2:12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
This passage beautifully displays the progression of the believer. The little children know the Father on the level that their sins are forgiven. The young men know the Father on the level they have grown in the knowledge of the word to overcome the wicked one. The fathers know the Father because the relationship has matured between them and God the Father. The foundation of the word establishes the heart to allow one to grow in intimacy with the Father. Meditation in the word is the way to victory over every scheme of the enemy. Oh that we might know the Father better.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Genuine salvation produces a love for the Father and the things the Father loves. If you have a genuine born again experience you will do the will of God.
Matthew 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."
Hear the voice of Jesus! His brother, sister and mother are those who pursue the will of the Father. Oh that we might know Him better.
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