Whose Father? Our Father! Part 1

Abba is the Aramaic word for "father." In the three times it is mentioned in the Bible, each time it is followed by the greek word for father reading abba ho pater in the Greek text and "Abba, Father" in the English version.

Brennan Manning points out in his book, the furious longing of God, "that American psychologists tell us that the average American baby begins to speak between the ages of 14 and 18 months. Regardless of the sex of the child, the first word normally spoken at that age is- da-da, da, daddy. A little Jewish child speaking Aramaic in first-century Palestine at that same level would begin to say

ab-ab, ab, Abba."

When Jesus teaches us in Luke 11:2-4 how to pray, He said,

"When you pray, say:

" 'Father, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgve everyone who sings against us.

And lead us not into temptation.' "

Jesus taught the Jews that God is our compassionate loving Father. Before Jesus, people did not look at God in this way. Some still don't. No-many do not. But I am so glad I do!

How comforting! How amazing! How safe! How exciting! But oh how comforting!

This is a huge hurdle in the deepening of one's faith for many. Some just can not get their arms around the fact that God wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. But for me, as I read God's Living Word day in and day out-it is so evident to me. He loves us profoundly. He knows us intimately (even if we don't know Him). He watches over us. He will never fail us...never.

It is so God to send His Son into our world, so at the crux of our faith is a Father's love for His Child, Jesus' love for His Father and there He sits at His Father's right hand...for us.

Since the majority of adults are parents there is meaning beyond measure in this love relationship.

I am not even a parent (unfortunately), yet I know that Jesus loves me more than my own parents do-because I know the love of Christ. (I don't understand the depth of it or the magnificance of it by any means...but I have always known His deep love of me) For a parent to try to get their mind around the fact that God loves their own children more than they do-must be mind twisting.

He loves us more than we can begin to fathom.

He didn't just create us and send us on our way.

If we want Him to-He will guide us and show us what we "ought to do."

He created us for a love relationship with Him first, so He could teach us how to go out into this messed up world and love others with one of a kind Christ-like love.

Any other kind of love will not run deep enough, will not be selfless, will be based on fear and insecurity, will be imbalanced and will not be perfect.

He is our Perfect Father, our Perfect Mother. He is the Perfect Parent.

Heavenly Father-

Thank you for allowing me to humbly come before You, the Creator of all things, and call You Abba Father. Thank you for loving me, for caring about me and for always being there with me wherever I go. Thank you for showing me what you care about in this world and what you do not care about-so I can get to know you better each and every day. Thank you for loving me right where I am.

One nation under God?

Are we still a nation under God? I chose to think so. I hope so...no matter what pop culture says or does not say, regardless of what is allowed legally to be posted in a public building or not.

Did you hear about the sign displayed the past two Christmas seasons at the state Capitol in Chicago by a group known as Freedom from Religion Foundation? The sign

(placed infront of the Christmas tree) read:

"At the time of the winter solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is just myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

When a Chicago Republican candidate running for office knocked the sign face down he was escorted out of the building and written up by the Capitol police.

Stories like this make me sad about our country. But on the other hand, I was delighted as I spent some time researching our nation's history in order to reconfirm the facts that articulate we are of course a nation founded under God. The information is overwhelmingly clear. Here is just one link to review.

http://www.afn.org/~govern/Christian_Nation.html

And just a few examples of what is listed in the link...

Most of the fifty-five Founding Fathers who worked on the Constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches and many were even evangelical Christians. The first official act in the First Continental Congress was to open in Christian prayer, which ended in these words: "...the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior. Amen".

This view, that we were a Christian nation, was hold for almost 150 years until the Everson v. Board of Education ruling in 1947. Before that momentous ruling, even the Supreme Court knew that we were a Christian nation. In 1892 the Court stated:

"No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people...This is a Christian nation." From the Supreme Court of the United States. This court went on to cite 87 precedents (prior actions, words, and rulings) to conclude that this was a "Christian nation".

If it is so abundantly obvious that we were founded as one nation under God....why does current culture say otherwise? It seems to me our founding fathers were full of wisdom and our current culture is far more foolish. Was is the minority winning out in our country? Why do they want God to not be at the center of our country? I mean...really?

Any poll over the past 10 years is going to show that 75-86% of our country states they are Christian (only 33% of the world states this claim), 1.5-2% Jewish (less than .025% of the world) and 13-15% no religion (right on par with the rest of the world), 4% of our nation says they are a religion other than Christian compared to the world where an entire 54% claim a religion other than Christian.

I wonder what George Washington would say to our country not being a Christian nation? He used 54 Biblical terms to describe God in his various writings.

One nation under God? I think so. I live as so.

God Bless America, my home sweet home.

Psalm 33

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.

Lord- Help me to stand strong in honor of you. Stronger than those who deny you. May I never be timid, may I walk boldy. May all of us who live in this great nation and love you rise up taller and higher than those who deny you. May your kingdom always reign in our nation forever. May more Americans come to know you intimately each and every day. May our children find you early on in life. May our soliders and their families know you and know your endless unconditional love for each of them. May you be with all of our men and women Lord as they step out into the unknown to protect- those of us who stay back and those who are yet to be born into this great nation-as they serve others, just as you call each of us to do. Thank you for all that have gone before them too Lord.

Pick me! Pick me!

Why do some of us care so much about our clothes and how well dressed we are? Why do we spend $400 or more on a silly pair of shoes or $1k on a business suit or $500 on sunglasses that will soon be outdated or $100,000 on a car that depreciates 25% or more within minutes of driving off the lot? Then there are even some who have a closet full of purses that may even total close to $15-$20,000 and yet we buy a new one instead of reusing the ones we have piled up, still looking brand new. The point is-why do we spend our money the way we do-relative to our income.

Is it to seek the approval of men instead of God? Is it to be recognized by the world as someone special...above others? Are we living of the world or walking in the Spirit?

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

(GAL 1:10)

servant: a devoted and helpful follower

I have to ask myself: Am I am devoted follower of the world or Christ? I can not be a servant to both.

When I was in elementary school I never ever wanted to be picked last. I can still remember clear as day, the pit in my tummy if it came down to me being one of the last three. When I played basketball growing up, I often would turn around after a defensive steal or scoring two points to see if my parents saw; I would even wait an extra few seconds to seek out their big smiles of approval. Then when I went to college it was so critical that my sorority "accepted" me. What if they hadn't? Oh boy, back then my world would have been destroyed if they had rejected me and my desire to be a part of their group-I would have felt worthless. Cut to my career where I have always sought the approval and recognition from my boss and at times even my peers. I even went so far five years ago to gain worth through the car I bought. At the time I didn't realize it -but now that I look back why else would I have bought that car-I mean seriously? This was only five years ago, when my faith was already at a deep place. Was I unaware that my decision was so self-indulgent? Did I surpress the guidance from the Holy Spirit at the time of the purchase or did I not even recognize the Holy Spirit's whisper? (Honestly I can not remember...I am sure the shiny new black car was all I could think of at the time and my mind was focused on instant gratification and not Christ) If we are really honest with ourselves, isn't part of the reason we buy jewerly, or design and decorate a home or drive a certain car-to indirectly imply to others "over here...look at me over here. Include me. I fit in. I am worthy." That was my logic. Why do we have this strong need for approval?

I know why I did...I desired to feel accepted and worthwhile, to know that I mattered and was special, to be included and considered important....and especially to feel loved. The moment we first begin to understand Christ's love for us, the realization of how precious we are to Him unravels. The approval we seek from the world slowly starts to dissipate. We are refreshed and it is beautiful. Aaahh-the heavy burden of acceptance is lifted. We are accepted, loved and cherished by Him.

He knew us before our parents even thought about us. Just take a moment and think about that....wow! Especially if you are a parent - think about how much you love your child or children...and to think that Christ loves them infiinitely more than you must be overwhelming. He created our innermost being and knit us together in our mother's womb. (Psalm 139: 13)

He made us. He will carry us and sustains us...until grey hairs and old age. (Isaiah 46:4)

Whatever life has handed us from the generation or generations before, we can take refuge in knowing that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God's love for us in endless and unconditional. We don't need to dig ourselves in a hole, waste our time numbing ourselves from past pains or possibly even go bankrupt trying to gain acceptance, approval or recognition from the world. We are precious to Him. It is critical we grasp this or we will spend our lives in toil and then turmoil over our toil.

I know the Holy Spirit dwells within me and it is because of this, that when I make a poor decision in effort to gain the world's approval and not His, I am immediately uncomfortable inside my own skin. Yet, sometmes I still choose to surpress the Whisper that seeks to guide me away from my unwise choice. I used to flat out ignore the Holy Spirit-that is no longer the case. Regardless of my foolish ways, the Holy Spirit is still there inside me. The compromise becomes an uneasiness that lingers and it may plays itself out, even at times with more compromises-until it becomes a vicious cycle to the point where we can become so caught up in it we are unaware that we are living of the world and not of the Spirit. If we are a follower of Christ and if we truly have heart-felt love for Him-we are called to recognize this of ourselves and turn.

Each time I make a choice of any sort, I have to slow down and think about it. I need to ask myself...do I really care most about bringing glory and honor to God in the way I live or...do I chose to put myself first? What is this choice about? Merely me wanting instant gratification and possibly to gain acceptance and approval from others? How do I spend my time? On what do I spend my money? What do I do first each morning? What do I do during my down time? Does it serve a purpose of comfort or convenience for me primarily or am I spending myself for God's Kingdom? I have to call myself out on it. Do I? Not enough.

Lord- Help me to always put You and Your Kingdom first in all my choices. Hold me accountable. Call me out by making me restless when I make a choice that is self-serving and is intended to gain approval from men. Help me to always make choices that You approve of...in how I utilize my time...in how I speak...and in how I spend my money. Lord-Help me to be intentional. Help me to not be idle and to spend myself for your Kingdom. Help me to speak words that are refreshing, honest, uplifting, kind and gentle to others. Help me to be wise with my money no matter how much or how little I have. Help me to always think of others first. (I need lots of help here God) You call us to love You with all our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind and to love others just the same. May I make choices that You approve of always. I understand it isn't a matter of if You and the world approve-as a servant I can only have one master. Help me to not compromise. Help me Lord to get to a place where the decision-making is no longer of my flesh but only of my Spirit. Transform me Lord to always seek only Your approval. May I get to a place one day Lord where I don't even have to think about it-it just comes supernaturally by the way I live. I love you dear Jesus! Amen.