Doctrines of the Faith: God the Father

The Apostle’s Creed is the core doctrinal statement of the Church. It outlines every foundational statement of the Christian faith. The opening statement says: “I believe in God the Father . . .” What does that mean? Are we “all God’s children” as many philosophers and modern songwriters have claimed?
Deuteronomy 32:6 is the first mention of the Lord as “Father.” Moses declared: Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?” In this sense, God is called Father because, like a human father He is instrumental in creating life. As man’s Creator, He is The Force of life. But the Old Testament people did not relate to God as a personal Father.
Jesus addressed God as Father in His prayers – often using the tender name “Abba” as little children would do – and he called Him “my Father” on multiple occasions when speaking to his disciples. In the prayer He taught them, said, “This, then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your name. . .’” (Matt 6:9). He set this forward as a term of reverence. It was a step closer to the kind of relationship that He had with God but was still a formal declaration of devotion and veneration.
But go with me now to the tomb. When Mary Magdalene encountered the resurrected Lord in the garden, He told her to “Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (Jn 20:17). Now His Father was the disciples’ Father – and subsequently our Father. (On a side note: Jesus first called His disciples servants, then He called them friends. But after His resurrection, He called them brothers.)
Paul wrote that all who come to Christ Jesus “receive adoption as sons” [and daughters], and are full heirs with Christ. We are granted “the Spirit of Sonship” and that same Spirit “testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom 8:15-16). He also wrote that “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (v. 9). No Christ – no Spirit – no Father.
God is indeed the Creator of all people, but He is not the Father of all people. He is the Father of every person whom He chooses to come into saving faith through His Son, Jesus. Beloved, is that you?

What is the Desire of Your Heart?

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven . . .'” (Matthew 6:9)
Somewhere in my life, I got the message that God, being sovereign and all, was going to do what He was going to do without any commentary from me. He had a plan and it would be enacted. I had no say in the matter. He wanted no arguments or suggestions from me. From that, prayer became a dry, rote practice. And from that, prayer became a moot point. I mean, what could I say that would make any difference at all? And “unanswered” prayers reinforced that warped theology.
Then I looked more deeply into the idea of prayer and I realized the point of prayer isn’t changing God’s mind or gaining His approval for my desires. It is about changing my heart and aligning my desires with God’s desires so that He can answer my prayers affirmatively. In a sense, I am still subject to God’s sovereignty, but through prayer, it is not begrudging God’s plan but rather submitting Joyfully to it. And that changes everything about prayer for me.
Consider this – we all love Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” We claim that frequently for all sorts of desires. I took it to heart through seven years of infertility. If I delight in the Lord, He will give me a baby. And I wanted a baby so much that I forced myself to be “happy, happy, happy” in God. But that is not the point of this verse at all. Like me, we tend to misunderstand the first part of the verse in the rush to get to the second part.
But the heart of this verse is – well – your heart. It is not delighting yourself in the Lord to get what you want. It is delighting yourself in the Lord so that He is your heart’s desire. And He will give you what you want – Himself. God is not about giving you everything you want. He is about giving you everything He wants for you. His presence, His peace, His Joy, His righteousness, His glory, and His home.
If your heart longs for God, your prayers will reflect His heart which loves you beyond measure and has a “good, pleasing, and perfect will for you” (Rom 12:2). When God is the desire of your heart, Beloved, you will have your heart’s desire.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

I’ve been in many worship services where “The Lord’s Prayer” is recited by the congregation. One part always makes me want to shout, “Wait! Do you understand what you’re saying? Is this really your heart’s desire?”
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mtt 6:10).
Have you ever stopped to think about what that means and why Jesus included it in His model prayer?
I believe Jesus wanted us to recognize Him as King and His rule as sovereign. The king’s will is the law of the land he governs. God – Jesus – is Creator and King of the entire universe – He governs the heavens which includes the angels and the earth which includes human beings. In heaven, His will is the absolute priority of every celestial creature. When we repeat this prayer we are saying the same of ourselves, that His will is our absolute priority, that we have no other will except His.
The question of God’s will has been a constant theme for generations. We want to know God’s will for our lives, but this verse invites us to look for the bigger picture and how we fit into it. While God does have a will – a plan and purpose – for our individual lives, that will is encompassed by the greater will of God: to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the sovereign authority of Christ (Eph

1:10). The ultimate purpose of all existence is the Lordship of Christ Jesus. God’s plan was firmly fixed from before time began. All of human history has been moving toward one result: the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings with “authority, glory and sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Dan 7:13-14).
So when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are surrendering our will to the will of God and committing to being part of ushering in the Kingdom of God and Christ. Like the angels in heaven, we are swearing our total allegiance to the authority and rule of the only rightful Ruler of the universe. This is God’s will for your life. He created you to be part of His eternal kingdom. Beloved, as you consider the words of this prayer, ask yourself, “What would the world, my neighborhood, my home, church, and workplace look like if God’s will was done on earth as it is in heaven – in me?”

Thy Will Be Done

How many times have you prayed the Lord’s Prayer and said “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? Have you ever stopped to think about what that really means and why Jesus included it in His model prayer? You can be sure it is not there to give the prayer rhythm. It is there to remind us that the will of God is supreme. It must be our highest priority as His people.

The question of God’s will has been a constant theme in Christendom for thousands of years. We all want to know God’s will for our lives, we want to do what we were created to do. Isn’t that what Ephesians 2:10 says? “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That’s not at all a bad thing, but Jesus’ prayer invites us to look for the bigger picture and how we fit into it. While God does have a will – a plan and purpose – for our individual lives, that will is encompassed by the greater will of God: to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the sovereign authority of Christ (see Ephesians 1:10). This is the fulfillment of the times—the ultimate purpose of all existence is the Lordship of Christ Jesus. God’s plan was firmly fixed from before time began. Understand that God isn’t making decisions and altering events as they unfold. All of human history has been moving toward one result: the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings with “authority, glory and sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

So when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are surrendering our will to the will of God and committing to be part of ushering in the Kingdom of God and Christ. Like the angels in heaven, we are swearing our total allegiance to the authority and rule of the only rightful Ruler of the universe. This is God’s will for your life. He created you with so much more in mind than you can conceive. He created you to be part of His eternal kingdom. Beloved, as you consider the words of this prayer, ask yourself, “What would the world look like if God’s will were done on earth through me?”

Where Can I Find Peace?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

We live in a world filled with turmoil. There are wars and violence in every nation and homes are rocked by discord and anger. We long for peace. We hold peace talks and peace summits and protest for peace. Still, we have no peace. Why?

Peace comes with surrender. Colossians 3:15 tells us to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” The original terminology for “rule” means, “to decide, to be an umpire.” My husband used to umpire for Little League baseball, and it was up to him to decide if a pitch was a ball or strike, a hit was fair or foul, or if a player was out or safe. Whatever he decided stood. Coaches argued his calls at times, but his decision was the final word. When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, we take His call, through His Word and His Spirit, as the final word on our situation.

Peace comes with trusting God. This one is personal for me right now. Jesus said “Do not worry . . . your Father knows what you need” (Matthew 6:25-34), so we rest our anxious hearts and remind ourselves of His faithfulness. We look to Him for our daily bread, our weekly daycare bill, and our monthly rent. He told us to “Ask, seek, knock,” and then trust Him to give and so we present our petitions and watch for His gracious hand to supply (Matthew 7:7-11).

Finally and most importantly, real, lasting peace comes only when we are at peace with God. Paul said that we are, by our human nature, enemies of God (Romans 5:10), and our evil behavior has alienated us from God (Colossians 1:21). But Romans 5:1 says that we “have peace with God through Jesus Christ.” The peace that changes our hearts and lives comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.

When the peace of God rules and reigns in your heart and mine, there is peace on the inside and peace on the outside that affects our homes, our nations, and our world. Beloved, let’s live in peace.

Pebbles in Your Shoe

Satan would rather put a pebble in your shoe than a mountain in your path.  Why? Ever had a little pebble in your shoe?  Isn’t it amazing how something so small can be such a huge distraction? It is a constant irritation that will stop you in your tracks. Often it’s the minor, seemingly insignificant things that do the most damage. Fishermen in the sea of Galilee watched the skies diligently and hurried to shore at the first sign of a storm. But more boats were damaged by the steady slap-slap-slap of the constant smaller waves that slowly ate away at the boat’s wooden sides. The wise fisherman checked his boat daily for signs of wear that could give way unexpectedly in the middle of the sea.

 I am quick to call down the forces of heaven over those mountains – but pebbles are such small, insignificant things.  “I can’t bother God with that.”  We tend to put our needs into different boxes. “Too big for me,” or “too little for God.”  We call for prayer when Grandma is near death, our child is hurt in an accident, or amid a worldwide pandemic.  But we think that God does not want to be bothered with our petty problems.  Does He even care that your washing machine has died?   Should I even bother Him about the paper I need to write?  Why would God be concerned about a teething baby who has kept you up three nights in a row?  He is too busy for such petty little problems.

My friend, God cares about all your needs.  He wants to be involved in the “everydayness” of your life.  He wants you to come to Him with your frustrations and the demands of your day that wear you down.  1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.” All your cares – not just the big ones.  Didn’t Jesus teach us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)? Daily bread. Daily needs. He is a daily God.

God has not left you to manage this life on your own.  He sees all issues you face.  He cares about the most intimate details of your life.  Take it all to Him Beloved, the big and small.  He is the God that moves mountains that stand in your way.  And pebbles that get in your shoe.

Your Kingdom Come

Yesterday I wrote about the Kingdom of God and today I want to take us back for another perspective, In that devotional we looked at how the Kingdom of God is a present reality and is within us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Please understand that I am not and will never espouse a humanistic gospel. We are the carriers of the Kingdom which is present in God’s Spirit and as such, we bring the Kingdom to the world in which we live.

But what is “the Kingdom of God?” The best answer comes from the Lord’s Prayer which He taught to His disciples: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  This is not just a rote statement in Jesus’ prayer, it is an act of surrender.  Simply put, the Kingdom of God is where God’s will is done.

So then, what is God’s will?  I can tell you for certain it is bigger than your life and mine.  Paul said that God’s will is to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the sovereign authority of Christ (ref. Ephesians 1:10). The ultimate purpose of all existence is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. All of history has been moving toward this one thing: the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings with “authority, glory and sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

When we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are surrendering our will to the will of God and committing to being part of ushering in the Kingdom of God and Christ.  And when we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), we are seeking His rule and reign in our lives. We are following the example of Jesus who said, “not my will but Yours will be done”

The Kingdom of God is now and not yet. The Kingdom of God is present in God’s people. The Kingdom of God is the will of God, and when we seek first the Kingdom of God, we are seeking to do His will. And when the Kingdom of God comes on earth, “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). That, Beloved, is what the Kingdom in you is all about.

Lead Us Not into Temptation

James said, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (1:13).  So why then, did Jesus include in His prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)? Isn’t James contradicting Jesus? How are we to understand this? Jesus is teaching us to ask for deliverance from temptation.  He is not in any way implying that God would usher us into tempting situations, although He may, as a step of purification, allow Satan to press us with temptation. Peter can attest to that.  

After the Passover meal, just before His arrest, Jesus announces that all of the disciples will abandon Him in His hour of need. Peter declared: “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matt. 26:33). What passion! What boldness! What foolishness!  Jesus answered His disciple, “I tell you the truth, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (v. 34). Luke noted that Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31).  Satan wanted access to all of the disciples (the first “you” is plural), but Jesus permitted him to lean only on Simon Peter (the second “you” is singular).  Why? Because He intended for Peter to be a powerhouse in His church, and there were things in him that needed to be sifted out. Things like pride and arrogance and self-sufficiency. By the way, did you catch Jesus’ promise – “I have prayed for you, Simon. And did you also catch His assurance – “when (not if) you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” It’s as if Jesus was telling Peter, “This will be rough, but I am praying for you, and you will win this battle – you have My word on it.”

Beloved, is temptation and struggle pressing hard against you? Perhaps the Lord is using the enemy to sift out something that could hinder you from becoming a mighty servant in His Kingdom. Gold is purified by fire. If it’s hot where you are right now, trust God in the process. As Job declared, “When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

Daily Bread

The doorbell stirred me from my studies and I opened the door to find a dear friend from church standing outside with bags in her hands. “I have something for you,” she said and we unloaded bag after bag after bag of groceries from her car. “The Lord told me you needed some food,” she said very simply. I cried as I hugged her over and over. “Yes ma’am, we did – thank you so much!” She quickly made her way back to her car and was gone in minutes as my family stood in shock at the bounty God had provided. There was enough food for two weeks – milk and eggs and bread and sandwich fixings and meat and vegetables and even baby food for my granddaughter. I had told no one that we were down to a half a bag of grits in the pantry – and it was another week before payday. But God knew, and He gave us “our daily bread.” That evening our family sat down together and enjoyed a delicious meal of spaghetti and grace.

The first part of The Lord’s Prayer is praise, worship, and surrender. That’s so important to our relationship with God and our hearts. When I begin my prayers with praise and acknowledge God’s sovereign authority in my life, my attitude and desires shift from self-centered to God-centered. The more I focus on God, the less I focus on me.

But Jesus wanted His disciples and us to know that God is deeply concerned for the needs and cares of His children, so He taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). That’s exactly what God did for us.

In my fifty-something years of walking with God, we have been in some hard places financially, but we have never gone without a roof over our heads or food on our table. God has always provided for us. Sometimes just in the nick of time, but never too late.I don’t know what your need is today

Beloved, but I know that the God who sent His Son to redeem you and give you eternal life is also the God who loves you and cares for you and about you. He is Jehovah Jireh – “the Lord the Provider” (Gen. 22: 14) and He lives up to His name every day.

The Name of God

“Oh my God!”

I drew a deep breath, put on a big smile, and turned around to face her.

“Oh, you know Him too? Isn’t He wonderful? Aren’t you glad He is your Father!”

The shocked look on her face told me I was right – she didn’t know Him as Father. She glared at me, “What are you talking about?!”

“You were calling out the name of God, so I assumed you knew Him like I know Him – as my Heavenly Father.”

“You’re crazy! It’s just a word!” she muttered as she walked away. 

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He opened with reverence and worship: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,” (Matthew 6:9). Jesus was teaching them and us that the name of God should always be treated with the holiness that is due Him.  When the Lord gave Moses the Ten commandments He included reverence for His name: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name” (Ex. 20:7). The name of God is His essence and identity, it declares Him as great, mighty, powerful, exalted, and deserving of worship. And when it is combined with profanity, misused as an expression of surprise or disgust, or used to deceive and manipulate it is a personal affront to Him. Likewise, the name of Jesus Christ is never to be spoken in any manner that denies His holiness and righteousness.

When I was in school I was teased horribly over both my first and last names: Dorcas Beegle. Every day I was greeted with “Here comes Dorky Dorcas, the beagle dog!” followed by a chorus of barking and howling. It hurt. They were making fun of my name, but their words felt like a personal attack on me. When we misuse the name of God, we think we’re only speaking words, but we are attacking God’s character. When my classmates teased me, I would hide in the bathroom and cry, but God says that He will hold accountable anyone who misuses His name.

And while we’re at it – please do not misuse the word “holy.” It is the word that most defines God. Jesus shed His blood to make unholy people holy. It is not to be combined with profanity, bodily functions, or farm animals. It should also always be used with reverence. So, no more “Holy cows! okay?”

Beloved, how does God’s name and the name of His Son roll off of your tongue?