Recently I was asked to share at a Men’s breakfast and with Pentecost approaching I decided to teach on what I believe is one of the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit-to encounter the deep love of Abba Father (Rom. 8:15) and receive the immeasurable blessing He has to offer. Our hearts are desperately longing for this blessing and the first step to receiving this gift is to acknowledging our absolute weakness. For me, and perhaps you as well, my human nature  is to avoid all signs of weakness. Yet, I have learned that  the path to Abba and the blessing He desires to bestow, is awareness of the brokenness in our lives and realizing we are powerless to anything in our own strength.

In order to experience the blessing  of the Holy Spirit we must seek the Blesser and shamelessly pound on His door until the gift is received.  An illustrations of this audacity in seeking the blessing is in Genesis 32.  Jacob searched for this blessing his whole life. Even in the womb he grabbed his twin brother Esau’s heel to gain first place in the family. Later on Jacob was so desperate for the blessing from his father Isaac, he tricked him into thinking he was Esau just to receive the coveted blessing for the first born.

Despite this blessing, more pain followed and Jacob escaped to his uncle Laban as Esau sought revenge. So Jacob searched for yet another blessing in beautiful Rachel thinking she would fill the void. But Jacob now was the one tricked and ended up with the oldest sister Leah on his wedding night and worked 7 more years for Rachel. Even Rachel and the 11 sons born left him dissatisfied.

Work provided immeasurable wealth and still Jacob’s heart was unfulfilled. Then after 20 years away, God prompted Jacob to return which meant a confrontation with Esau. The unsettling evening before meeting Esau, Jacob wrestled all night with a mysterious figure-who I believe was Jesus. Just before dawn the figure said to Jacob, “Let Me go.” But Jacob refused to release his grip until the “man” blessed him.

At the moment of weakness and sheer exhaustion the blessing came to a desperate man and God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, because of their wrestling match. It is to be noted that the Hebrew letters in Israel mean one who retains God. I would translate it as his heart became a dwelling place for the presence of God.

Jacob finally got the blessing his heart was longing for when he came to the end of himself and clung to God until He blessed him. It is through weakness that our hearts are opened and prepared for the gift of the Holy Spirit. And what is that Gift or Blessing we all need? The Love of our heavenly Father. This is what empowered Jesus in ministry and kept Him faithful to the cross. This is what changed fearful disciples into bold witnesses-when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

As we look forward to Pentecost be reminded how much you need the blessing that comes from the Holy Spirit. Realize you are powerless and that you need the supernatural love of your Daddy to be the blessing you have been longing for. Don’t let go of Him until you get it.

“What father among you, if his son ask for a fish, will instead give him a snake…if you then, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit for those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:11-13)

Our Abba Father offers His healing and transformational love. This blessing is waiting for you to claim.

The above picture is a Bible study on the Oceans Campus taught by Bryan Steel, principal of the school (seated at far right) with South African and US students. The blog below is a teaching he shared with us which I pray it will bless you as it did us.

A  while back my wife and I were registering our daughter online for her schooling. It was quite an ordeal that sparked lots of debate as one of the questions was what race the child is. It was also one of the required questions and you couldn’t go further in the registration without completing it.

Since we are in a so-called ‘mixed race marriage’. None of the available options were appropriate for our daughter, hence the discussion. This ordeal got me thinking about how within each one of us there is a desire to be accepted and known for who we are.

As believers we are children of God, but do we always know and believe this truth?

Romans 8:15-17 reminds us of our position in God’s family.

V15 says we have received the spirit of sonship. Sonship means adoption and it has been received so it is a gift. This verse goes on to say that “… we cry Abba Father…” Abba is an intimate greeting of a small child to their dad.

V16 says “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” There is no doubt, it is absolute certainty.

V17 tells us that, “we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” We receive an inheritance from God Almighty. It also reminds us that being a Christian is not easy and that we will share in His sufferings but then we will also share in His glory.

I went and looked at the adoption that is mentioned and found something interesting. There was no adoption in Jewish culture at this time, the brother immediately became the head of the household if anything happened to a father. So, this adoption that is spoken about in these verses is a Roman concept and it carries a very powerful meaning.

In those Roman times, biological children could be disowned if the relationship was not necessarily desired by the parents, and it was then not seen as a permanent relationship. This concept of adoption was totally different.

Adopting a child in those times meant:

• The child was freely chosen and desired.
• The child was a permanent part of the family and could never be disowned.
• The child received a new identity, and all prior commitments, responsibilities and debts were erased, and new rights and responsibilities were taken on.
• The child became heir to the father and had joint shares in all possessions and they were fully united.

What does that mean for us as Christians?

As children of God, we are fully desired, we are fully loved, we have a new identity through the blood of Jesus, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. It means we can cry out Abba Father from the bottom of our hearts as we are in an intimate relationship as His beloved children. Our nature as adopted sons and daughters of God is intimately bound up in the salvation Jesus won for us. Through Jesus, the Son of God, we are brought into sonship and adoption.

Do you wholeheartedly believe this message yourself?

Do you know your position as child of God even when you have problems?

Do you accept that you are adopted into God’s family through the work of Jesus on the cross?

After much debate about that registration question ultimately a box had to be marked; but this information does not define who our daughter is.

What does matter is who SHE IS because of Christ.

What does matter is who YOU ARE because of Christ!

The gift of salvation and the gift of sonship are free for us, but came at a huge cost, the precious blood of Jesus.

Each one of us had a debt we could not pay; and because of His great love Jesus paid a debt He did not owe.

This is a message for my daughter, my son, my family and each on of you.

It is also a message we can share with everyone we meet!