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This past week we had the privilege of having a guest speaker from the UK come over and talk to us about the heart of the father. At the beginning of the week I was a bit skeptical because I’ve heard sermons about who God is; trustworthy, genuine, consistent, protector, kind, compassionate, authoritative, safe, proud, loving (ect…). I thought this week was going to be more about all that. Don’t get me wrong it is all amazing but I wanted to hear something new/ fresh perspective.
And I did…
He started off the week with talking about the verb ‘to know’, and how it can be expressed in 2 ways; knowledge or experience. We need to know the Father not through knowledge but by experience. Just as what is written in our heart stays with us, but what lands in our heart transforms us.
We need to start seeing with the eyes of our heart.
Just as we all know God as a creator, He actually was a Father first. The trinity wanted to share their love and passions with something, so then they created earth after thinking each one of us through. Gods plan A was to have sons (and daughters) who will be holy and blameless. He is first father by nature. The Heavenly fathers had a son – Jesus- and also calls us sons, which makes Jesus our brother!
OUR FATHER LOVES EACH OF HIS KIDS THE SAME… HE LOVES US THE SAME AMOUNT AS HE LOVED JESUS.
This is huge because Jesus was sinless but nevertheless the Father doesn’t see our flaws, He sees His kids who are ALL holy and blameless. Luke 15:11-32 is the parable of the lost son and it talks about the son returning home after blowing all His father’s inheritance, filled with shame returning back to his father’s house but he didn’t get the response he was thinking he was going to get. In verse 20-24 it reads
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassionfor him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
A couple things I want highlight in this story is that the FIRST emotion the Lord felt was COMPASSION and then He was filled with a spirit of celebration. The best robes in the house was probably the fathers, and by having the servants fetch His robe is such a high act of clothing us in his love and compassion even when we are sinners and don’t feel worthy of COMING HOME. Back then the father often gave a ring to the son who was going to get all the inheritance, so this is significant by how even though the son went out and blew all his portion the father still gave him more. Lastly, the father celebrates when his son has returned. Every time we repent and turn back to the father He CLELBRATES not just the first time or the second, but again and again and again.
Our Lord says ‘I am your father and I love you, I am proud of you, and I clothe you in the best robes’.
From being on the race and now CGA it is hard for one place now to feel like home. I at a worship night in Atlanta with a new gap year launch about to head off onto the field, being in the exact same spot as I was a year ago eagerly anticipating my upcoming 9 months. In the middle of worship, I was thinking of Calgary and how it just doesn’t feel like home anymore, and how anyplace I go whether it be Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Cambodia and Georgia I tend to make a new home for myself. I look up and felt the Lord said this is your my home now ella. HE WAS INVITING ME INTO HIS HOME. A home not surrounded by walls but surrounded by HIM and his spirit. This has been huge for me to actually accept in my heart, because I always knew in my head I was forgiven of my past, present and future sins, but that the Father in Heaven still celebrates and is proud of me. So if there is three things I have come to accept in my heart and I want you to know about the Father is that;
He loves you
He is proud of you
He clothes you
W E L C O M E H O M E
