Children of God

1 John 3:2 (ESV)

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Just look at it—we’re called children of God!

We know that God is the Father who has extended His marvelous love towards us. Directly after emphasizing this, the Apostle John reminds us that we, if we have chosen to follow Jesus, are called “children of God.” This is who we really are. This is our true identity. Our self-image is not based on what we do. Our self-worth is not founded on our achievements. No, our true identity is built upon something more lasting and secure. What better foundation than the central revelation of the New Testament—that those who know Jesus are the adopted sons and daughters of the Father? Is that how you see yourself? If not, let me urge you to build your identity on this truth. Let me encourage you to do what the Apostle John says here and “just look at it.” Consider, reflect, ponder this truth and then revel in its beauty. If you do, you will always have a profound assurance that your security is in your position as a child of God, not in your work.

Dear Lord, we want to give You praise that You love us for who we are—a child of God. Thank You for this honor. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The love of all loves

1 John 3:1-3 (ESV)

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us!

There is no greater joy in life than to know that God is our loving Father, yet many people, including those within the Church, have not experienced this unspeakable joy. Many have been wounded by their earthly fathers and, as a result, project their own experience of fatherhood onto God the Father. They then create God in their earthly father’s image—seeing God as an absent or abandoning parent. Others have a picture of God as a distant and vengeful Father. None of this is an accurate representation of the picture that Jesus paints. Jesus came to reveal the marvelous love of the Father. Yes God is King. Yes God is Lord. Yes God is Judge. But pre-eminently He is the Father who loved this orphaned planet so deeply that He sent His one and only Son to turn slaves into sons and orphans into heirs. This is the highest blessing of all—to know that God is the world’s greatest Father. If you have lacked a good father on earth, know this: you have a perfect Father in Heaven and He has extended His marvelous love to you in Jesus.

Dear Lord, we thank You that You are not remote but relational. Help us to enjoy a greater intimacy with You as we continue to study Your word. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit

Luke 23:44-47 (ESV)

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

The last words of Jesus on the cross explains the way He lived His whole life. He had committed his entire life here on earth to His father and now He commits His death to His father too.

We must not merely see these words as the last words of a resigned frail dying man. Jesus is quoting from Psalm 31:5! He is confidently handing over his spirit to his father. He has completed his earthly work and is handing over his spirit into his father’s hand.

From the cross Jesus is teaching us that our spirit, no matter what condition it is in, is safe in Gods hand. We can trust God with our life. Trust is built on a relationship. Jesus has no doubt about the character of his father. Although, in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus’ prayer goes unanswered, yet he does not doubt his father’s love.

In the garden, he concludes that the father's will takes precedence over his will. And now on the cross he affirms that decision when he entrusts his spirit to the father. Are you struggling with unanswered prayers? Trust God, boldly. Heed the advice of Psalm 31:7, “I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love.” Remember, joy has very little to do with our circumstances.

We too can rejoice and be glad in God’s faithful love. The shocking picture of the cross with Jesus’ body on it is a symbol of God’s faithful love. For me, Jesus hanging on the cross resembles the picture of the prodigal son hanging on his father. Tired, filthy and worn out and yet loved by his father. Jesus, in some sense becomes the prodigal when he stepped into our mess. Yet, in the story of the prodigal son, the father gives him a kiss on the neck and his life is changed for the better.

Give your life to him and experience his faithful love. Regardless of the condition in which your life is, come to him, just as you are. Hand over your life to God and he will love you and give you a kiss and your life will change for the better.

Dear Lord, we commit our spirit to you. We ask that You would take it and give it a kiss. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

Luke 23:34 (ESV)

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

In the movie – The Passion of the Christ – the suffering of Jesus is portrayed very accurately. You can imagine what Jesus had just been through. He had been spat upon, his hair and beard pulled, they made fun of him, they ridiculed his teaching, they slapped him, they whipped him and they pressed a crown of thorns into his head. Eventually they nailed him to the cross. And this is what he says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Even from the cross Jesus along with the father forgives his perpetrators. The union that he shares with his father is evident even in his forgiveness. Jesus teaches us that when injustice is being done to us the father takes it personally. Likewise, when we forgive we are forgiving on behalf of the father.

Jesus then reminds us that sin is ignorance. When we sin we become ignorant. We become so ignorant that despite being aware of the consequences of our behavior we still choose to go ahead with our action. Jesus reminds us from the cross that we can accept his forgiveness and change our ways.

Forgiveness is a very difficult decision. But it is a very important decision. More than anything,  it offers us, the victim, freedom. We must strive to forgive, because the father has forgiven us. With God all things are possible. So with God’s help let us try to forgive. Additionally, with the power of the Holy Spirit let us hope for our pain to be transformed into compassion and our memory into prayer and intercession.

The cross is at the center of our journey as Christians. Jesus reminds us from the cross that forgiveness comes from the father's loving heart and we must extend this forgiveness to others.

Dear Lord, thank you for the relief that Your forgiveness brings to our life. Help us find others to offer it today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

You've got a point

1 John 3:16 (ESV)

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Here is a great story illustrating What God did for us.

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high that, even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in the story. The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!', he threw out the life line to the son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that He could do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take hold of the life line."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely said one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. Sorrow began to overtake the old man's smiling face as he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm here today to tell you that I understand more than most the pain God must have felt to give up His only Son. For you see, I'm the man who lost his son to the ocean that day, and my son's friend that I chose to save is your pastor."

Dear Lord, help our hearts and minds be set on sharing Your love with those you bring into our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

I Am Your Father

Psalm 2:7 (NIV)

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;

    today I have become your father.

While you may not consider yourself to be a huge Star Wars fan, you would have to have been living under a rock not to know some of the quotes or the story line of this blockbuster movie created by George Lucas. It is the ultimate Good vs Evil story line with a few twists and special effects thrown in for good measure.

One of the best known scenes from the film series is when Luke Skywalker is fighting the evil Darth Vader. (Spoiler alert – if you haven’t seen the films and don’t want the plot ruined, do not read on!) Darth, wearing his black mask and cape, is working for the dark side and has supposedly been the one who’s killed Luke’s father.

In an infamous light saber duel, Luke tries to destroy his nemesis only to hear Darth Vader say, “No Luke, I am your father.”  All Luke can do in response is scream a mortified, “Noooooooooooooooo.”

While Star Wars is a fictional story set “in a galaxy far, far away” you can’t help but feel for Luke. Here he is, fighting for good, not evil, and yet he discovers that he is connected to one of the most evil men in the galaxy.

I could not help but think of this scene when I read Psalm 2 – “You are my son; today I have become your father.” Hearing these words for God would have the reverse effect on us compared to Luke Skywalker.

When Luke heard these words he realized he was connected to evil and destruction. When we hear these words it is the opposite.

God is love, hope, purpose, and grace, power and pure. We are made in His image and have the choice to connect into all of these life-giving attributes.

Instead, it is us who often reject our creator and turn to ways that are destructive and selfish.

Psalm 2 is a great reminder of the One we have come from. We have been created with love and we have the power of the greatest God we can ever imagine behind us.

Dear Lord, we often forget who we are made in the image of. Thank You for loving us so much that You formed us and set us on this earth to spread Your word and love to all those around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Family Lessons From the "Dolphin Tale"

Proverbs 22:6 (King James Version)

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I enjoy seeing a great, inspirational family movie.  Today I did just that when I took my family to see Dolphin Tale.  This movie is about a fatherless  and lonely boy named Sawyer who finds meaning and purpose in the rehabilitation of a beached dolphin named Winter

Following are some lesson I gleaned from the movie. Some are original and some I read from others that made me think.

·         Great Things Can Come From A Crab Trap – Winter is discovered on the beach tangled up in a crab trap.  What seemed like a potentially fatal situation turned into a story that has inspired thousands of amputees and millions of others.  We all face devastating things in our life.  Always remember that Jesus can make beautiful things out of our pain.

·         “A Turned On Kid” – Sawyer’s mother Lorraine found something that inspired her son and fought to help him continue.  God makes all children unique.  A key to parenting is discovering your children’s uniqueness and leveraging it in a healthy and productive manner. What better way then to be there and be involved.

·         “Can I ask a weird question?” - It was this question posed to Dr. Cameron McCarthy at a VA Hospital that led to the creation of Winter’s prosthetic tale.  Remember there is never a weird question, they all make us think and may lead to a new innovation. For that one weird question Winter is grateful.

·         “No one in their right mind would even try it.  Luckily, I’m not.” –This is one of my favorite lines in the movie. Remember normal is overrated.  If you think you’re weird or don’t fit in, you are the type of person who will one day do great things.

·         “Just because the road before us changes it doesn’t mean we should stop chasing our dream. - There is much patience, sacrifice, pain, effort, and perseverance needed to have your dreams come true.  If you’re thinking of quitting on your dream or what you are most passionate about, please don’t.

·          “Never quit on Winter.  Never quit on yourselves.” - It took over 60 different attempts and variations of prosthetic tales before they discovered one that Winter would not reject.  If God has put something in your heart to be done to serve others and glorify Him, please know that it may take multiple (maybe over 60)  attempts to discover the right combination of resources needed for success.  

·         “Just cause you’re hurt doesn’t mean you’re broken.” – There is a difference between being hurt and broken.  You may be legitimately hurt – physically, emotionally, psychologically, relationally, or financially.  But we must stay the course.  You’re not broken.  You can succeed.

·         Leaders Invest In Other Leaders - During the film, the land the aquarium is located on was purchased by an investor for the purpose of becoming a series beachfront hotels.  However, upon seeing the work by the facility’s director Dr. Clay Haskett, the investor says, “I’m going to keep this open as long as you’ll run it.”   People will buy into a person before they will buy into a dream. Be the person that God wants you to be and the dreams will fall into place.

·         The Importance Of Fathers – The most touching moments of the movie was the last scene when Sawyer was snuggled up with Winter.  This was after he said, “Family is forever.”  Through the different experience  Sawyer had through the movie he truly learned that “Family is forever.”

All in all it was a great movie!  As a movie reviewer would say I give it 5 tail fins out of 5– Dolphins shouldn’t have to replace dads. Let’s not make it so our kids have to find something to replace us.   As a father we need to be there for our family.  Today I took my whole family to see a great movie and had a great time being together. I challenge each father to make an effort to spend time with your wife and children, they are a gift from God and Family is forever. 

Dear Lord we thank You for our family’s. We pray that we would always treat our family as the gift that they are. We pray that we would always be there for them.in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Family that Prays Together......

Colossians 3:20-22 (New International Version)

 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

We father's have a very important role to play in the lives of our children. God could have chosen any role he wanted, but as another has said, he chose to present himself to mankind as a loving Heavenly Father.

As God demonstrated his great love for us, fathers (with God's help) need to model God's love--first of all--in the home for his entire family.

The following is just one of many examples to demonstrate the importance of a father's role.

There is a report by Warren Mueller whose study revealed that where both parents attend church regularly, 72 percent of their children continue in the faith.

Where only the father attends, that percentage drops to 55 percent, but where only the mother attends, just 15 percent of the children remain involved in the church.

Most of us will be familiar with the old saying that said,

"The family that prays together, stays together." Perhaps it would be better this way, "The family that prays together, plays together, shares together, and goes to church together, stays together."

As a parents: Dear Lord, please help me as a parent to model for my children the kind of person you want me to be so that they, seeing your love in me, will want your love for themselves. In Jesus’  Amen.

As a Young person: Dear Lord, please help me to become the person you want me to be so that when and if I have children, they will see your love in and through me. And if I never have children, help me to know your love and share it with every person you bring into my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Biplane and the Father's Love.

There was a twelve years old boy, he ran away from home which caused his parents a great deal of grief and dismay. When he returned in the wee small hours in the morning, he expected to be punished. Instead, his Mom and Dad embraced him. For the next couple of weeks, his Dad took him into his work and showed him around the engineering factory, where he was manager. At night time, they both worked on a project - the building of a small wooden red biplane.


The biplane was a replica of a drawing taken from one of his favorite comic books. His Dad was a superb draughtsman and it fascinated the boy to watch his dad create a blueprint for the wings, fuselage, wheels, and propeller. He was putting a lot of time and effort into this project, more than he could really afford because he was a very busy manager. By the end of the month, they finished the biplane and he proudly displayed it on his bedroom table. It was the first thing he saw each morning and the last thing he looked at each night.
By taking time to make the biplane, his Dad was showing him all that he did. He was also giving him all of his attentive love. Ever since then, he loved to do model aircraft. Each time when he took some precious time to build one, it took him back to those days when a troubled and insecure boy found strength and love in his Father's patience, forgiveness, and care.


No matter where we are today, what we are experiencing, or whatever we may have to endure, our Heavenly Father embraces and abides with us, showing us His love through all that He does.


For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.


- John 5:20




Dear Lord we thank You for sharing Your Father with us and for the gift of His amazing love, which promises us of greater things to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Father's Love

A Father's Love

A father is respected because

he gives his children leadership...

appreciated because

he gives his children care...

valued because

he gives his children time...

loved becausehe gives his children the one thing

they treasure most - himself.

"Happy Father's Day" A Dad is a person who is loving and kind, and often he knows what you have on your mind. He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends. A dad can be one of your very best friends! He's proud of your triumphs, but when things go wrong, a dad can be patient and helpful and strong in all that you do, a dad's love plays a part. There's always a place for him deep in your heart. And each year that passes, you're even more glad, more grateful and proud just to call him your dad! Thank you, Dad...for listening and caring, for giving and sharing, but especially, for just being you! Happy Father's Day

The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7 (New King James Version)

Dear Lord and heavenly Father, we want to take the time to thank you first of all for being our father and for the way you take care of us. We also want to thank you for out fathers here on Earth, we pray for protection for them and that they will always know that we love them. In Jesus’s Name. Amen

The picture is in honor of my dad