The Perfect Dad???

Does anyone remember watching the "Andy Griffith Show" or "The Cosby Show"? Andy and Cliff seemed to always be able to say or do the right thing in their families. No matter the situation they had the right answer. Back in the day, being a dad meant something. A dad was wise, protective, caring, etc. The kind of dad we all wanted to have (if you didn't). Now we have "The Family Guy" where Peter is a horrible example of a dad. It seems that on most modern media that dads are shown to be clueless, brainless, dysfunctional losers. Why? What happened?


God designed fathers to be His example to the their families and the world. We are called to be the spiritual leaders of our families. Though not perfect, some of us have, or try to be, Godly dads. Unfortunately many did not have, or are not, the dads God called them to be. That's when you look to the one who is your true and perfect father, God. How cool is it that we can call the creator of the universe daddy.

He cares for us and every facet of His creation.

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
  8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

• Matthew 6:26 (New International Version)
  26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

• Matthew 10:29-31 (New International Version)
  29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[a]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
  

So God wants you to be part of His family and loves us so much that even though He created us He gives us freedom of choice to choose Him.

• Galatians 4:5-7 (New International Version)
  5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[a] Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Fathers, look to our heavenly father and strive to be like Him. Being a Godly father is not easy, but the rewards are eternal. Sons and daughters, honor your father's today.

Be Christ to someone this week.

Steve

OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

This is the message I gave at our event at Bent Creek Baptist Church a couple of Saturdays ago.

Do you remember in the 1st movie of Jurassic Park when they are driving the jeep away from the T-Rex and there is a camera shot of the passenger side mirror and it shows "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR". The T-Rex is right on them.

As I got in my car the other morning, having a rough morning, I looked in the mirror and read that warning and thought that is how Satan works. He wants to bring things up from your past and make them huge. Think about it. Everyone of us has sinned and think about something you've done in the past that you still feel bad or guilty about. Satan is the great accuser and stands before God and says look at how he/she lives, see how they do...

• Revelation 12:10 (NIV)
  10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Sometimes we are so far into our lives of sin that we have become trapped or enslaved. However, if you have been adopted into God's family through Christ, you can be free from that life. Meaning that as a Christ believer/follower He bought you out of that slavery and set you free.

• John 8:34-36 (NIV)
  34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Did you get that last part, verse 36? Check out these next two verses:

• 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
  9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.



• Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
  12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
  

So basically if we ask God for forgiveness, with a sincere heart, He forgives us and it's gone. So when Satan brings up junk that you have asked God to forgive you of, remember that you were already forgiven. Tell Satan to get lost because God has forgiven you. In fact, if you were to ask God to forgive you of something you have already asked to be forgiven of He would say "what sin?"