The Gift of the Father – A Voice From Heaven

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This week while reading through the gospels I was blessed to be reminded of the story of Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River. This is where the Father opens the heavens and undeniably invades earth with powerful words of love and encouragement, “this is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased,” Mathew 3:17. In times of revival and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the voice of the Father breaks forth to begin a new work, just as He did with His son Jesus and his disciples.

I sense the Father is doing the same thing in our day. I can’t tell you the conversations I have had in this last season with a variety of different people who are being awakened, loved, and called into a new work by the Father. And I have observed similarities in each of these stories where hearts have been opened to hear the voice of their Father. In each of these situations I noticed:

  • A time of crisis or brokenness that has led them to turn to Jesus with hurting hearts crying out in prayer for help.
  • For others a season of fasting, and seeking to be still before the Lord.
  • A renewed passion for His Word, not for more knowledge but for an authentic relationship.
  • The Father speaking through others by way of divine appointments, dreams, visions, scriptures, and prophetic words.
  • A new call to trust the Father and step out in faith, being willing to risk security, reputation, and comforts of this world.
  • A peace and an inner joy that words can’t describe as they hear the Father.
  • A new inner boldness to live for the Father’s fame even though the journey is not completely clear.

These conversations have renewed my hope and heightened my expectation for new and continued works of God the Father for today. Each bolded truth listed above can be traced back to the Scripture and the first century church. Truly, the voice of the Father always comes to His people when He is ready to move and show Himself glorious and mighty to save.

Jesus demonstrated to us how to open up our ears to hear the voice of Heaven as He journeyed to the Jordan to be baptized by John. There Jesus identified with the sins of the people, despite being without sin; he was baptized as a sign of repenting of sin and turning focus back to the Father.

Join me as together we step into the Jordan River and repent of our lack of trust in the Father. May the blood of the cross wash over our sins and may we each step out with a renewed passion to seek His face. And in His perfect time, Heaven will open and we will hear the loving Voice of our Father lead us into a powerful new move of His Spirit.

 

The Gift of the Father – Heaven’s Unity

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“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s bread, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling down on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore,” (Psalm 133).

These words from King David describe in great detail the precious life giving Spirit of the Father coming down on brothers and sisters who become one in His love. Recently Oceans had the blessed privilege to experience this unity with pastors, prisoners and others who gathered to hear more about Oceans Ministries.

When Heaven Invades Earth and God’s Spirit pours down there is Joy, a new sense of His Holiness, AND a Unity that breaks down social, traditional, racial, and denominational walls. It was such a joy to be apart of a pastor’s event held at the beginning of October. This event was organized by my friend Mike and took place in Western Michigan. Mike diligently got all the details in place, which believe me is no easy task when it comes to inviting busy pastors to any type of event. Yet, what an amazing morning it was with 70 pastors gathered around tables eating, enjoying each other’s company, building relationships and allowing the Holy Spirit to break down walls. Our Father rejoices when His children come together through the work of His Son and fellowship as One Family.

At the end of October I walked in, and several hours later, out of Chino Prison. My friend Mario and another brother accompanied me and truly our hearts were filled with overflowing joy. The three of us spent the evening with men from almost every racial background and walk of life. Men who had experienced overwhelming pain and brokenness because of the power of sin and the lies of satan. And yet as we worshiped, prayed, gave testimonies, studied the Word, and fellowshipped; the life giving love of the Father flooded the room. I am blown away that the book “The Journey to the Father’s Heart” has somehow been a tool to stir in the hearts of many of these men the need to forgive their earthly fathers, others and even themselves.

We left with our cups overflowing and I said to my two brothers, “This was a taste of Heaven!”

Heaven Invades Earth when the Father’s children unite in their brokenness around Jesus Christ and His love poured out for us on the cross. As we receive that gift of love and it fills our hearts, we then release that love to brothers and sisters we come into contact with, and that love is reflected in how we live our lives. It is a testimony to the world that we belong to Jesus (John 13:34-35). It is unfathomable to me that the Father’s love can break through a world divided by war, hearts full of hate, and even into a prison chapel and bring the life giving unity of Heaven to earth.

May the Holy Spirit allow you to taste and see the blessing of unity this week!

 

The Gift of the Father – Heaven’s Holiness

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Sin is Not In in our politically correct culture. Even the mention of the “S” word causes an upheaval in today’s society and sends people running to the source of who or what had such an absurd idea. After all how could anything be wrong with me or my kids or grandkids? In all honesty somehow we have redefined sins found in the Scripture to fit our lifestyle calling what the Bible states as wrong now right. The result of this dark influence is that we are find ourselves increasingly in bondage to these sins and left spiritually dead, exactly the scheme of satan, the father of lies.

Yet when Heaven invades earth and the Holy Spirit is poured out on the Father’s children, sin and its ugly lies are exposed. There have been precious times in my life when the Father was gracious to me and sent His Holy presence into my situation which caused me to drop to my knees revealing the depths of my sin and spiritual deception. But the amazing thing about the gift of the Father is how His Spirit will not leave us naked in our sin. He brings us back to His Son Jesus. He wraps us in new garments of love and forgiveness as we place our sin and its power over us at the foot of the cross.

A taste of the Holy makes sin taste like sour grapes and brings a renewed passion to live as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). As Heaven’s Holiness begins to push sin out of our hearts more room is made for Christ to dwell and have dominion over us. This leads us into a powerful freedom to live as we were created to, as children of the King full of Heaven’s Joy (I Peter 1:8).

Nothing is new under the sun. History has recorded over and over again that even God’s children get sucked into the vortex of the dark culture of sin. But in the midst of that darkness the Spirit prompts His children to pray for a new outpouring of Heaven to invade earth. And when the Father unleashes Heaven’s Holiness among His children a spirit of Repentance breaks forth. Believers turn away from away from the lies and deception of sin and turn back to the light of His loving forgiveness and amazing grace.

I’m always convicted by the text in 1 Peter 4:17 “judgment to begin in God’s household.” In this moment where Sin seems to be ruling over even the children of God, we need to search deep within our hearts and ask the Father to visit us with a fresh and great outpouring of the Holiness of Heaven. So we can return to living as free children who dance with joy in the presence of our loving Father

Join me in crying out to the Father for a new outpouring of Heaven to invade our hearts and Christ’s Bride, the church, with a new visitation of Holiness.

The Gift of the Father – Heaven’s Joy

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During my first visit to Lesotho Africa, the guide from World Vision drove our team of pastors to a remote village on a dusty and very bumpy road. As our vehicle crested a hill and descended down toward a cinder block building, I couldn’t help but notice an unusual sound which I had never heard before. I wondered if what we heard was a good or a bad noise. Obviously the guide must have seen our puzzled faces as he explained that the ladies from the village make that sound when they are extremely happy! “That sound” has become one of my favorite delights while in Africa. Obviously it is hard to explain on paper; you will just have to come to Africa to hear it for yourself. Over my many visits the women have tried to teach me but you need to have a really gifted tongue that moves back and forth at top speed to pull it off and I have come to realize that this is not one of my spiritual gifts.

When you hear “that sound” you know for a fact that something special is happening. Whether a baby is being adopted at Beautiful Gate Care Center or during a worship service when the drum begins to beat and Lesotho people proclaim their love for Jesus. The twilling of tongues in Africa is always a sure sign that something good is happening and blessings will follow.

In the same way when the Gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, flows down upon His children there are signs revealing His glorious presence and one of those signs is Joy! I love how Peter describes this Joy from Heaven:

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

1 Peter 1:8

This joy cannot be explained, it comes from another world and it blows our world away. Read the book of Acts and you will find this “inexpressible and glorious joy” all over the place. The disciples experienced joy in prayer meetings, prisons and persecution. The crazy thing about Heaven’s Joy is it is contagious, when the neighbors see this joy they want to know what “you’re drinking?” (Acts 2), which opens the door to share Jesus!

I think the early church’s greatest tool in sharing the Father’s love to a lost world was that they were filled with a supernatural joy. What if followers of Christ continued to taste Heaven’s Joy? Think about the impact this would have on a joyless world! The apostle Peter shares the tools to open up the floodgates of heaven simply stated: “love Him” and “believe in Him.” Those who direct their passion towards a Father God they have not seen and YET walk a life of believing trust in Jesus WILL FIND themselves drenched in the Joy from Heaven. 

Just like in Africa when the women do their twilling as a sign of happiness to verbally express a blessing, when we overflow with Heaven’s Joy it is a sign our Good Father’s Kingdom has been poured into our hearts to be a blessing to the world. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit!” Romans 14:17.

 

The Gift of the Father- Heaven Invading Earth

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This past weekend I had the privilege of fellowshipping with a group of men in Michigan for a retreat. You can’t beat Western Michigan in the fall! God’s handy work surrounded us with His radiant glory both in creation and in relationships. The trees were shouting out the Father’s praise as the wind pushed through causing the leaves to speak and sparkle in the brilliant sun.

And the wind of the Spirit also pushed through our group as the Father gave insight and revelation that made His presence known. One of the men was sharing about a statement he heard about “Heaven coming to earth.” Stating that when God shows up, it is often times in the least likely places: brokenness, poverty, prisons, suffering, loss, vulnerability etc., and ultimately that is the best place to be. During the weekend we definitely experienced that at the retreat. One of the first guys to share opened up with radical honesty and that broke through the walls of our protective male hearts and allowed the Holy Spirit to dwell with in real and tangible ways. Indeed, there was no better place to be! We all tasted Heaven invading earth!

When Heaven invades earth, and the Father release His Holy Spirit among us several signs will follow, here are a few:

  1. A JOY because of the indwelling presence of Jesus living within us.
  2. SIN is revealed and overcome by the power and forgiveness of Jesus.
  3. A UNITY among the Father’s family that breaks down dividing walls.
  4. A desire to OBEY the will of the Father through the Spirit and the Word.
  5. MIRACLES occur and bring hope to us and glory to the Father alone.

When Heaven invades earth and these signs follow, God’s Heavenly Kingdom will make itself known on earth. Our Father in Heaven will be glorified and His children will be satisfied in His presence. Will you dream with me about an invasion like this? An invasion which would flood our world with rivers flowing from the throne of God to a culture that has become a barren wasteland? For the next few weeks I want to ponder these 5 points and ask you to fervently pray this prayer Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” 

Or simply: Father, Let Heaven Come!