My God Story: Part 6.9 - The Fatherhood of God
God has been speaking to me about a word recently: father.
It started with an article by Rick Renner on A Father's Bad Influence.
This article reminded me of a book by Derek Prince that I read years back, while my family and I were in Kerteh: Fatherhood.
To this day, I still remember all that I read back then on God's design for earthly fathers - firstly as a priest, secondly as a prophet and lastly as a king. I think I remember it so well because, growing up, I never did have such an earthly father, who represents the family to God (the office of a priest), who represents God to the family (the office of a prophet) and who rule as a king over the household.
Please don't take me wrong, I am not accusing or saying anything negative about my parents. I love them and honour them. I had asked for forgiveness, had forgiven and had reconciled with them. What I'm saying is simply that I did not have a healthy image of the word 'father'.
(Note: I'd like to recommend you to search for teachings by Derek Prince on fatherhood on YouTube. I'm sharing the link to the ones I believe is closest to the book I read, Husbands and Fathers Part 1 and Part 2.)
The Lord then reminded me of an important night in July 2019, "This Is Freedom".
This is a session my church, Kingdomcity, does on a periodical basis. We call it TIF. It was during my first TIF that I encountered and was tightly embraced by the father heart of God.
That night, I realized the root cause of my in-identity: fatherlessness. (Yes, I coined that word 'in-identity' up, you'll have to read my earlier post to understand what I'm trying to say 😂.)
My earthly father loves me, yes, but he is not perfect. I think that is true for most of the older generation fathers. Especially so with Asian fathers. (Please don't take offense as I am not trying to be critical.) I had yearned for a father figure that can only be found in God.
Ironically, although I had been a Christian for almost 20 years at that time, professing myself as a child of God, nonetheless, yet, I was still orphaned-spirit.
I called Him Abba Father but I hadn't understood the father heart of my Abba God. I prayed to Him, calling Him Lord Father but I had perceived Him to be a far away God. (Notice how I add the word 'lord' before 'father'.)
At the end of that TIF, I was healed of this orphan spirit completely. I have no other way to describe my experience nor what took place but to use the words from the Bible.
That night, I had received the Spirit of adoption by whom I cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
(Note: Ps. Leif Hetland had such wonderful teachings about this orphan spirit. He even has a book called 'Healing The Orphan Spirit'. Do listen to his teachings on this.)
In essence, the Holy Spirit reminded me of that feeling of lack that I had felt when I first read Derek Prince's book.
He also gently showed me how I had then unknowingly projected that expectation of the godly earthly father image onto my husband, silently and secretly holding him up to that ideal of priestly, prophet-ly and kingly father image to our children and the family. And that, as you can guess, had not done any good in the earlier years of our marriage.
Anyway, a few days after that, Ps Ashok initiated a discussion and sharing on the Lord's prayer (Matt 6:8-13). Each person were to share what he/ she understands of one line of the Lord's prayer, starting with 'Our Father in Heaven', then 'Hallowed be Your Name', so on and so forth.
It was quite obvious which verse I chose, of course. 😄
And as I pondered on the line 'Our Father in Heaven', I realized the revelation and the reassurance that the Holy Spirit has been trying to minister to me. (You may read about my sharing on this line here.)
The Holy Spirit also prompted me to pick up the book Fatherhood and read it again. As I read these words, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
All fatherhood in the universe ultimately goes back to the fatherhood of God...The ultimate revelation of God, in the New Testament, is the revelation of God as Father. And the ultimate purpose of the New Testament, the reason why Jesus Himself came, is to bring us to God. If we stop short of this revelation of God, we have stopped short of the full and final outworking of redemption's purpose.
I had read this years ago.
I had intellectually read and understood what Derek Prince was saying. But it was only recently that it became my reality.
It was as though I had understood every sentence in English. I would have scored 100% if it were to be an English test. But what I have read and understood and known had remained as words on paper. And, sadly, nothing more.
Consequently, I had stopped short of the full and final outworking of redemption's purpose. And this 'stop-short' showed up in every area of my life, impeding the full and complete redemption of Christ from manifesting.
Beloved in Christ,
Have you, perhaps, read and know the Bible so well that you'll be able to score 100% (or at least an A) in a test? Yet it had only been an intellectual understanding. (As the saying goes, it's a knowing that needs to travel from the head, 1 ft, down to the heart).
Have you read and memorized certain verses so much that you're able to recite it word by word in a breath? Yet it had remained just that: a memory in your brain.
Have you known God so well yet has stopped short of the revelation of God as your Father? And you as His child?
May my story of 'stop-short' opens your eyes to the father heart of our God. And may you not stop short of this revelation of who God is to you and me.
