Module 3 - FATHER HEART OF GOD

About PRIDE

A. Signs of Pride

1.   Cannot be Corrected
      If you are a person full of PRIDE, you feel bad when you are corrected. “sa tingin mo, ikaw ay always right”. There is always a ready explanation for everything that you do ex. Full of justifications. And when you are being corrected, you always see the sins and mistakes of others but you do not see your own. “alam ko…, hindi ko naman talaga sinabi yon…, ba’t ikaw?..., alam ko na yan…, siya naman talaga ang may kasalanan…, ganito kasi yun…” PRIDE!!!
      A humble person on the other hand is ready to be corrected. “kahit na masakit, tinatanggap ang corrections… without explaining everything. Actually it is pure and simple PRIDE which is the greatest hindrance to TRUE REPENTANCE.

2.   Cannot Ask for Forgiveness
      Because pride serves as blindfold and you refuse to see your sin, you therefore cannot say “will you please forgive me?” … but rather “bakit ako hihingi ng tawad?... sino ba siya?... kung sino ang may kailangan at may kasalanan siya ang lumapit…” Asking forgiveness from the people you hurt is a sign of humility. If you find it hard to ask forgiveness, then you have a problem with pride in your life.

3.   Cannot Submit
      Pride makes you think you are better and higher than other people that is why it is difficult for you to submit specially to someone who is younger than you or to someone who you think is lower in status than you. You want people to follow you, or do whatever you say but you, yourself cannot submit to your leaders. You want your own sides or plans to be followed. The root cause of rebellion and insubordination is PRIDE.

4.   Cannot say “thank you”
      Pride makes you see that people should be serving you. “Dapat lang na gawin niya yan… dapat lang na gawin nila yon..” So you are not thankful to people when they do little things for you. Humility on the other hand causes you to be always thankful to God and to man for the things they do or gave no matter how little these things may seem to you.

5.   Cannot appreciate others
      Pride causes you to hide your appreciation to other people. Even if you think they are very good or beautiful or that they did an excellent job, you will not appreciate them because Pride causes you to see, instead the mistakes, the weaknesses, and the failures of people. “Para kang sinsapawan kung pupurihin mo sila o di kaya you will have the feeling na baka lumaki ang ulo ng taong yun…” if this is the case let them be… you don’t have to worry about it… its their accountability to God… as long as you know that you are doing it for the Glory of God, you don’t have to think twice but to appreciate at once. Humility, on the other hand causes you to consider other people better than yourself.
      Philippians 2:3 – “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (pride) but in humility consider other better than yourselves.”

6.   Cannot serve others
      The best humility is SERVANTHOOD! Pride wants you to be served; not to serve others. If you are full of pride, tamad ka at ayaw mong maglingkod sa iba. You will only serve with wrong motives. On the other hand, pure, selfless servanthood is possible only if you are humble person. (Matthew 20: 25-28)

Matthew 20:25 -28
25 – But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princess of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 – But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 – and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 – even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to give his life a ransom for many.

7.   Cannot Give
      Pride makes you think of yourself and your needs more than the others. You cannot give your time, money, things, effort, work for others because you are always thinking “paano naman AKO???”

8.   Very Sensitive
      Madali kang masaktan kung may sasabihin sa iyo na correction or anything. Madali kang mapahiya. You are easily hurt because you think highly of yourself. Hindi ka lang pinansin or sinali sa program or sinali sa group, you are already hurt. Biniro ka lang tungkol sa height mo or size mo or way of talking, nasaktan ka kaagad. Napagalitan ka lang, gusto mo nang umuwi o umalis sa ministry.”

9.   Concerned with Reputation
      “Concerned ka sa sasabihin ng tao kaysa sa Diyos.” Pride makes you very self-centered. You are always conscious about your REPUTATION: “Ano ang sasabihin nila sa akin?”…”baka naman isipin nila na ganito AKO”… therefore you are always protecting your reputation.
      Makikipag-away ka pa…in order to protect your reputation if somebody has said something about you. You are a very shallow person since you are only concerned about your outward appearance – what others think of you.
      That is why in front of other people you always want to look your best, “pa-impress”, you show all your talents and abilities” FOR THE SHOW… BUT WHEN NOBODY IS LOOKING AND YOU ARE ALONE, wala rin pala!!!

TWO FACES OF PRIDE:

1.   Superiority complex
   You think of yourself as the TOP GUY. NUMERO UNO… the best among the rest… the STAR of the party and the group is nothing without you. ME, I and MYSELF… ito ang laging bida.
   Therefore, you find it hard to serve, to give, and to appreciate others. You cannot be corrected but you want to correct others because all you see are their faults, weaknesses and mistakes.
   The people with this kind of attitude are usually the ones with a history of being a “spoiled brat” of a kid who always get what he wants because he was very “cute”, smart or the only child. He grew up with “WHATEVER I WANT, I GET’ attitude.
   If you are this kind of person, you better decide to break your heart and get down from your throne because “God resists the proud (kalaban ka ng Diyos!) but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)”.

2.   Inferiority Complex
   You are sill the center of your thinking although it is on the negative side. “KAWAWA NAMAN AKO… GANITO LANG KASI AKO… Nahihiya ako, kasi baka kung ano ang sabihin nila sa AKIN…”
   Is this a form of Humility? NO!!! it is still self centeredness because you are still in the center. Your concern is still your reputation. Sometimes you cannot serve, you cannot give your testimony because you say “nahihiya AKO”… in that sense, you are not able to give God the glory because of your hiya. When is “HIYA” a form of pride? When you refuse to do things because you are so concerned about what others will say about you. This is FALSE HUMLITY.
   True humility is when you think of others, how to serve them and how to be a blessing to them, without considering what other people would think of you. True humility is when you are so concerned about how GOD SEE YOU. “Ano na lang ang sasabihin ng tao sa akin?...” kahit na ano ang sabihin ng tao sa iyo, ang mahalaga nalulugod ba ang Diyos? That is our main concern in life!

Formula for Misery

   Think about yourself, what you want in life, then think of how people are treating you, keep a record of “wrongs” and create your “museum of injustices”. Remember all the unfair treatment people did to you and soak in the memory of yourself…”kawawa naman AKO…” self is still the center!

Evaluation: What kind of face do you wear? (Face 1: Superiority Complex or Face 2: Inferiority complex? Explain)

ROOTS OF PRIDE

?   LUCIFER said: AKO, I, ME, MYSELF
      Isaiah 14:12-14

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
       From these verses taken from Isiah 14, the fall of Lucifer, God’s original Praise and Worship leader in heaven, had the word “I” five times used. The center of his life is HIMSELF.
      That was the basic reason he was kicked out from his ministry in heaven and thrown out (Ezekiel 28) to the depths of the pit. In the same manner, if you are still full of “I”, “Ako”, “me”, “Myself”, “akin”… you are a candidate to follow in the footsteps of LUCIFER, the paragon (model or perfect example) of PRIDE! Listen to yourself talk. Look at the way you live.
      If you are always first on the list, or if you always want to do things your way, watch out… the basic hindrance to serve God is: “ME, I , MYSELF” “This is graphically illustrated in the fall of Lucifer in Ezekiel 28: 12-19; Isaiah 14:12. The five I is really a big hindrance to serve God.

REMEMBER: “There are only three (3) persons in the Godhead and you are NOT one of them.

RESULTS OF PRIDE:

?   Destruction – Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before fall…

      It is not an issue whether you will fall or not. The bible says the next step if you have pride is: DESTRUCTION! Why is this so? Because if you are full of pride you are fighting agains God ( 1Peter 5:5), and if you fight against God, of course you will be destroyed. Kung mayroon kang pride, ang kaaway mo ay Diyos. (1 Peter 5:5)
      The NO. 1 thing that God hates is a proud man! (Proverbs 6:16-18)

There are five things that the Lord hates, yea five things that are detestable to HIM:

1.   A PROUD LOOK – Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:12-19); (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Ezekiel 12:12-19
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Isaiah 14:12-15
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

2.   NEBUCHADNEZZAR- (Daniel 4, 5:20)

Daniel 5:20 - But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

3.   SAUL – ( 1 Samuel 15:12) “nagpatayo ng sariling bantayog”. Saul was a king who never humbled himself but was so concerned with his reputation. He always finds excuses for his sins and blames other people for his misdeeds.

1 Samuel 5:11-12

11 - So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12 - And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

4.   HEROD – (Acts 12: 20-25) – tinanggap ang pagsamba ng mga tao sa kaniya
20 - And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.
21 - And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 - And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 - And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
24 - But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 - And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark
5.   _________________ (I pray that your name will not be listed as another example of Pride… who will be later DESTROYED)

   PRIDE stinks! “MABAHO”… people can see it, smell it, know it, hear it. People will run away from you – “hindi ka blessing”… People know that you have pride and usually, you are the last one to accept it because you refuse to see yourself having pride but the smell of it is very strong. You cannot hide it.
   All forms of FALSE HUMILITY will be exposed and sooner or later, lalabas ang tunay mong kulay, so do not delay!!!! Find the solution!!!

SOLUTION: DIE TO YOUR SELF

STEP 1: Die to your selfish ambitions

   Your self-centeredness, your “AKO, AKIN, ME, MYSELF, I” must be put to death on the cross. (Romans 6:6-11)

Romans 6:6-11
6 - Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 - For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 - Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 - Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 - For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 - Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
DIE TO YOUR SELF!!!!......
STEP 2: BURY
   A dead thing which is not buried will smell so bad. Furthermore, a dead person will not arise anymore… No matter how SWEET IS THE SMELL OF TEMPTATION… a dead man will not rise anymore!!! WHY??? HE IS SIMPLY DEAD!!!
CONCLUSION:
   “In the kingdom of the “SELF” the KING must DIE!!! Palitan ang hari ng puso mo, ipalit si JESUS…

   If you are working in the ministry and you do it “depende sa mood” then you are not serving God at all but YOURSELF. That is because you are serving only if you feel good or if you feel OK.
   The sacrifice of worship comes when you serve God because He is God, not depending on the circumstances. “kung hindi uulan… kung may pamasahe… kung ok ang mga tao sa paligid ko… kung may sundo… kung wala akong sumpong…” the ONLY reason you should not minister is when you have sin in your heart that you have not repented of, or when you are dealing with a situation that requires you to settle the matter first. If you serve with these things in your heart, your sacrifice of worship will not be accepted, no matter how sincere or how talented you are. Settle yourself and clean up your life first!

DYING TO SELF
Kung ikaw ay nakalimutan, hindi pinansin o hindi ginalang…
At hindi ka nagdamdam o nasaktan man
Kundi ang puso mo ay mapayapa
Dahil alam mong ang Diyos ay nalulugod sa iyo...
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili!!!

Kung ang ginawa mong mabuti ay tinaguriang mali o masama
At ang iyong mga nais mangyari ay hindi binigyang halaga, at kung ang
Iyong mga payo ay di pinansin,
Kung sa kabila nito ikaw ay hindi umalsa, nagreklamo o nagmukmok,
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili!!!

Kung kaya mong tiisin ang anumang hirap, pasakit, panlalait o pangungutya
At katulad ni Jesus ay hindi mo ipinagtanggol ang iyong reputasyon
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili!!!

Kung hindi mo na pinag-uusapan ang iyong sarili,
Magagandang gawa, kadakilaang nakamit,
At hindi ka nangangating marinig ang papuri ng iba,
Bagkus kung ang puso mo ay mayaman sa papuri at pasasalamat sa iba...
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili.

Kung ikaw ay handang makinig sa karaingan ng iba
At kung kaya mong ilaan ang iyong panahon
Sa kanilang mga problema…

Kung sa kabila ng iyong karamdaman ay kaya mong maramdaman ang kalagayan ng iba at isinasantabi mo ang iyong sariling kapakanan,
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili…

Kung sa kabila ng pagod mo at pressure sa workplace mo
Ay nagagawa mo pa ring ngumiti at makipag usap ng tama
Mahinahon pa rin ang iyong pagsasalita
Yan ang kamatayan sa sarili…

Sa kabila ng kawalan ng tiwala sa iyo ng ibang tao dahil sa nagawa mong
Mga karumal dumal na kasalanan
Maging ang mga mahal mo sa buhay ay iniwanan ka
Subalit ikaw ay nagpakumababa sa Panginoon at inako mo lahat ng kasalanan mo
At dahil dito hindi mo binalingan ang mga taong nanakit sa iyo
Bagkus pagmamahal ng Diyos ang ipinakita mo
Hindi ka nanumbat o ipinagtanggol ang sarili mo
Ito ang tunay kamatayan sa sarili

Meditation: Daily Devotion

Isaiah 14:12-15         Proverbs 9:7-10
Ezekiel 28:4         Philippians 2:4-11
Proverbs 16:18-19      1 Peter 5:5-6
Proverbs 6:16-19

FATHER HEART OF GOD

GOD IS OUR FATHER
   We must know God as our Father and not as Lord only. The transition from Lord to Father is difficult basically because of one hindrance: OUR EARTHLY FATHER!

I Corinthians 15:46 – Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from Heaven.”

   As children, we grew up with earthy fathers and whether we like it or not, the type of father that we knew greatly affects the way we see God as Father.
Matthew 7:7-11
7 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 - For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 - Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 - Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
   Bilang Ama, nababatid niya ang pangangailangan ng kaniyang mga anak. Siya ang Diyos na kayang-kayang ibigay ang lahat higit kaysa hilingin at isipin natin ( Eph 3:20)
   HUMINGI = thru prayer
   HUMANAP = to seek with effort; hanapin ang kabanalan ng Panginoon; hanapin ang kaniyang kagalakan, hanapin ang kaniyang presenya… Worship…
   KUMATOK = humility, cleansing, asking forgiveness, acknowledge God that you can’t do nothing apart from Him.
   Illustration: Ikaw ay may nagustuhang bagay at sinabi mo sa tatay mo na ibili ka nun. Hindi lang minsan ang iyong hiling kundi paulit-ulit sa tuwing nakakausap mo siya ay panay ang banggit mo sa bagay na yun at hindi mo siya titigilan hanggat hindi mo napapa “OO”… (I Thes 5:17 – Maging matiyaga sa pananalangin)… Luke 18:1-8 – the parable of the persistent widow.
   We must open our hearts and mind that aside from the qualities of God as Sovereign, Almighty, Powerful, Majestic, Righteous Judge; He has the face and a heart of a FATHER…
Romans 8:15 = “For you have not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have receive the spirit of adoption whereby we cry ABBA FATHER”
   He is our Tatay, Daddy, Papa, Itay, Amang
   Inangkin at inari na niya tayo nung nasa sinapupunan pa lang tayo ng ating mga magulang… Hinubog niya tayo sa kaniyang mga kamay ayon sa wangis niya…
   Nakatakda na ang lahat, naitala na ng Diyos kung ano ang magaganap sa buhay mo ngayon at sa hinaharap… lahat ay naisulat na maging ang ating mga kahinaan at kalakasan at LAHAT ng pangyayari at mangyayari pa…
   Illustration: kung nag adopt ka ng bata, you give all the privilege sa kaniya bilang anak at ang itatawag mo sa kaniya ay “ANAK”…
   Ang ibig sabihin nito, mahihingi natin sa kaniya ang lahat ng bagay AYON SA IKALULUGOD AT KALOOBAN NIYA… Minsan sa katigasan ng ating ulo, may mga hinihiling tayo na labag sa kalooban niya at minsan kahit wala na siyang pahintulot ay ginagawa na natin ang mga bagay na hinihingi natin sa kaniy… ginagawa natin ang lahat ng maaring gawin upang makamit lang ang hinihiling natin subalit nasasaktan ang ating AMA… Hinahayaan ka lang Niya… Subalit kapag nadapa ka, nasaktan, hindi ka naging successful, ang iyong Ama ang sinisisi mo o di kaya nagrerebelde ka na sa Kaniya… Hinahayaan ka lang niya subalit kapag ikaw ay sumuko at nagpakumbaba, humingi ng tawad that you can do nothing apart from Him (the prodigal son) with an open arms ay sasalubong sa iyo at sasabihing “ANAK ANG PINAKAMAMAHAL KONG ANAK”…
   Huwag naman sanag dumating ang panahon na tumigas ang puso mo at hayaan mo ang Diyos na humanap sa iyo at lumingap sa iyo… Dahil pag nagkataon, baka di ka na magising at di makapag sisi sa nagawa mong kasalanan… Mapalad ka kapatid kung magdesisyon ka ngayon na magbalik loob sa Panginoon.
James 1: 2 – 8
v.2 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
v.3 - because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
v.4 - Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
v.5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
v.6 - But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
v.7 - That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
v.8 - he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does..

God loves us unconditionally and accept us again and again BUT He wants us to become mature and be like Jesus Christ… That is the main focus of this study… Kaya nga pinapalo niya tayo di ba?

Hebrews 12:5-11
v.5 - And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
v.6 - For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
v.7 - If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
v.8 - But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
v.9 - Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
v.10 - For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
v.11 - Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Poem:
Thou art Father, who so dearest to me,
You gave your life, for me to be set free
I offer my life unto thee Oh Lord
For that is what meant to be…

Mark 14: 36

v.36 - And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

   Make a habit or prayer that every circumstances that will come to your way will bring Glory to His Name…
   Everything that God allows to come in your way is with a purpose (Rom.8:28)… He uses even the greatest error and the deepest pain to mold you into a person of worth and value (Rom 8:29)

   Let this be your prayer: “Father God, if this pain, trials, suffering, joy, blessings; is your will for me to be stronger and mature then I will face and accept it not by my power nor by my might but by thy Holy Spirit. Not my will but Yours be done…”

DIFFERENT KINDS OF EARTHLY FATHERS

1.   Angry Father
   Hot tempered, tadtad ka sa mura, sermon, galit, verbal or physical abuse.
      The child tends to develop fear in the father presence. He does not experience love and security because he never felt the warmth of his father’s embrace.

2.   Distant Father
   He is physically present but very cold. He does not display affection, love or concern. (malayo) and the child feels he is worthless and that he is not loved.

3.   Weak Father
   Andres-de-saya, no decision, hindi maasahan. It is the mother who works and makes decisions because the father is irresponsible. He is not functioning as the head, provider and breadwinner of the family.

4.   Absent Father
   The child grows up without a father image. Either his father is dead, separated from his mother, works abroad, or he has a single parent. The child never felt how it is to have a father.

5.   Good Father
   Godly type of a responsible father who shows affection and let his child know that he is accepted, loved and important.

RESULTS OF INEFFECTIVE HUMAN FATHERHOOD:
   Children who grow up with any of these ineffective types of fatherhood tend to be:
1.   Rebellious
2.   Insecure
3.   Have poor self-concept
4.   Difficult to see God as Father because they grew up with earthly fathers who projected a faulty father-image.

   These children are emotionally bankrupt and their lives are directed to seek their father’s attention and love. This is the reason why some girls at a very young age involved sexually and have boyfriends because of this insecusity.
   In search for a father’s love, they took for love in all the wrong places, in too many faces. Palit-palit ng boyfriend or girlfriend, this is a sign of insecurity. Boys on the other hand turn to drugs, sex, rock, fraternities, and all forms of rebellion to make them feel important and significant.
   That is the reason why Satan effectively uses divorce and rebellion within families to destroy children and youth. He removes the father figure and drives these children to insecurity and tempts them to solve their hunger for love through sex, drugs, and other forms of vices.

SOLUTION:

Allow the Holy Spirit to erase the earthly father image and paint a new picture in our minds.

Romans 8:14-17 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Aba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

   The Aramaic word “Abba” is the term Jesus always use when referring to God. The equivalent term is: Daddy, Papa, Tatay, Amang, Itay…Jesus dropped all formalities when He talked to God.
   He called God in a very informal manner and that is the very reason why the Jews in His time hated him because they considered Jehovah (God) as a very sacred name, very highly exalted and no one dares to call Him Father, much more “Abba” which literally means “Daddy…”
   In Galatians 4:6 “Because you are sons, God sent the spirit of His son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out “Abba, Father.”

   Mark 14:36 Jesus cried…”Abba, Father”… “Papa, Papa”…

   Galatians 4:6 The Spirit crying….”Abba, Father”…”Itay, Itay”…

   Romans 8:15 We cry… “Abba, Father”…”Daddy, Daddy”…

   The main ministry of Jesus on earth is to INTRODUCE GOD AS OUR FATHER! (John 17:25).

In the Old Testament, the Jews never knew God as their Father but as an Awesome, Powerful God. Jesus came with the revelation that God is the Father of those who believe – a concept which the Jews rejected and which is until now, very difficult to accept and understand without the help of the Holy Spirit.

   2 Cor 6:17 KJV – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

KNOWING THE NATURE OF GOD

As Our Father:

A.   God’s Love is Unconditional – Greek “Agape” this word used when speaking of God’s love. This is the unconditional love of the Father. His love is not based on our performance – that if we are good, He loves us more but if we are bad, He loves us less.

   Romans 5:8 KJV – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

   I Pet 3:18 KJV – For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

   Romans 8:38 -39 KJV – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

   Luke 15:25-30 KJV – Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many rears do I deserve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come which hath devoured by thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Unlike the Unconditional Love of God, the blessings of God are conditional. The first 15 chapters declare God’s abundant blessings in the whole chapter of Deuteronomy 28 if we are willing and obedient. And from verse 16 downwards, the curse are outlined for who are disobedient. All throughout the Bible, it is clear that IF we are obedient to God’s Word, His blessings will come.

God’s Love is Sacrificial

   John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life…

The decision of the Father to GIVE His one and only begotten Son for people who always rejected and rebelled against Him and who did not deserve His love at all reflects a sacrificial love. It is more painful to let your son die than to die your self. But God sacrificed His Son for us. “You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving”.

Example: A missionary from the US who lived a very comfortable and rich life was assigned to live among the poor people of “Smokey Mountain” the Basurahan of Manila at one time. Anywhere was dirty and the smell was unbearable. The people also were the same.
   On top of that, they were always stealing things in his house. It came to a point that he could not endure living in that place anymore and he desperately wanted to go back to his clean and “hi-tech” surroundings in the US.
   He felt so sorry for himself and it was in the middle of his “pity-party” that God broke in and spoke in his heart…”my son, you feel so bad coming from a very comfortable place and living in the dirtiest place here where the people whom you came to share salvation are the very ones who stole from you and make fun of you… if that is your case, think of my Son Jesus who lives as the King of Kings in heaven- a place of glory, splendor and majesty yet He went down on earth which is worse than Smokey Mountain and the very people whom He came to save despised , rejected and killed Him…”

   As the missionary meditated on God’s sacrificial love, he was so ashamed of himself, asked forgiveness and began to minister with new power and anointing coming from the Father’s heart of love and sacrifice!
Therefore: As God’s children, He put a placed an emptiness in our hearts that only He can fill. Only God can satisfy a hungry heart, man cannot. The failure of many is they sought from man that which could only be found in God.

   People find different ways to fill that emptiness through education, sex, man’s love, ministry, drugs, money, etc… only to become disappointed and frustrated because in the end, they were never satisfied. Let us always remain as child in God’s arms, safe and secure in the embrace of our Loving Father!

Deuteronomy 33:12 – And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

SOLUTION TO END ALL INSECURITIES AND MAN’S HUNGER FOR LOVE

We should be filled with God’s love and as God’s love overflows in us, we can love other in return people with His kind of love. Therefore, we will love God and people not by our human kind of love but from God’s overflowing love. How can we be filled with God’s love?

Though daily meditation of His Word, praying, and worshipping Him, we are receiving a continuous flow of His love to us. Dapat mapuno ka muna ng love of God. Hindi dadaloy ang love of God dahil ikaw ay di pa puno!

Illustration: (Get a pitcher of water, a clear glass and basin. Pour the water in the cup, explaining the following symbolism)

Pitcher: Father heart of God
Water: God’s Love
Empty Cup: Man’s Heart

As the water(God’s love) is poured (Father heart of God) directly in the cup(your hear), the empty cup(your empty heart)will be filled with water(God’s love). The water(God’s love) will only overflow if the cup(your heart) is filled. If you stop pouring water(God’s love), the cup (your heart) will not be filled and the water (God’s love) will not overflow. As time passes, the water (God’s love) in the cup(your heart) will evaporate and the cup (your heart) will be empty. Therefore, in order to continuously overflow, the cup (your heart) must be constantly be filled with water (God’s love). Even “love” when it comes from our own human selves is DEFILED, UNACCEPTABLE to God. The only Holy love that is acceptable to God is the love that comes from Him, poured out to you and goes back to Him…

God, The Father of Justice

   Do not act like children. Receive correction as you receive blessing. Another important aspect of the Father heart of God is His justice. His love is also seen in His discipline to His children.
   A father who wants his children to grow with Godly character will do everything in his capacity to discipline his children. A child who grows up without being disciplined or punished for wrong doings will have a very ungodly character. He will grow up thinking that everything he wants, he gets and that he is always right since he never experienced the pain of being corrected.

   At the end, he will be destroyed or spoiled (mabulok)… Thus, discipline and correction are God’s ways of completing His fatherhood to His Children:
   Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

a. Discipline is an act of love:

Hebrews 12:5-11

v.5 - And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
v.6 - because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]
v.7 - Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
v.8 - If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
v.9 - Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
v.10 - Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
v.11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
v.12 - Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees

   b. The motive of correction is love: Ungodly fathers punish or hurt their children as an act of cruelty, frustration, or drunkenness, leading to child abuse but the motive of Godly discipline is LOVE (Hebrews 12:6 - because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.")

   c. Discipline is a mark of Sonship (Hebrews 12:5-11 – please see above verse)

   d. It is for your own good (Hebrews 12:10 - Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. )

TWO RESULTS OF DISCIPLINE:

1.   Fruitfulness
   John 15:1 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
   John 15:2 – every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and wvery branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

   Busyness is not the same as fruitfulness. You may be very busy doing a lot ministries in the kingdom but you are not bearing fruit. God desires fruit that will remain. “You are busy to the kingdom but not to the King”

   Illustration: Like Maria and Martha as sisters when Jesus was visited to their house, Martha is very busy preparing the food while Maria is on Jesus and enjoying His company. When Martha noticed it, she’s requesting Jesus to let Maria help her in the preparation but Jesus insisted and replied to Martha that Maria is doing the best thing. “Jesus needs you… and only you… Apart from Him we can do nothing, but even without us He can do everything!”

   This is also what is being illustrated in Matthew – “You are worshiping me but your heart is away from me”… You really need to bring back your first love (Revelation 2:4) … Search you heart right now… ano ang ginagawa mo noon upang lumago sa Panginoon na ngayon ay hindi mo na nagagawa dahil sa pagiging abala mo sa Gawain… Kapatid… Magising ka… Ikaw ang kailangan ni Jesus… ang oras mo na kayo lang dalawa... Namimiss ka na ng Panginoon...

2.   Holiness and Righteousness – Malachi 3: 2-3 ; Hebrews 12:1

Malachi 3: 2 - 3
-   But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap:
-   And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge then as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

   God’s correction is like a refiner’s fire (Zechariah 13:4) “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed everyone of his vision, when he hath prophesied, neither shall they wear a tough garment to deceive” or laundry soap designed to remove the dirt and stain in your life.

   Therefore: a person in bondage cannot receive love and cannot give it. Those who are in bondage by the spirit of rejection ( product of unwanted pregnancy, pre-marital sex, ignored and abused child) have a perverted view of Love. They see discipline and correction not as love but as hurting agents.

   Therefore: they have no capacity to receive love and correction, and they cannot love others. This root of bitterness causes them to destroy themselves and others (Hebrews 12:15)

ROAD TO FREEDOM:

1.   Discover the Father Heart of God
2.   Expose and confess ALL past hurts and bitter memories.
3.   Forgive those who hurt you
4.   Ask the Holy Spirit to heal ALL wounds.
5.   Let the Holy Spirit erase ALL your past; (ibaon mo at patayin ang dati mong pagkatao kasama ang mga nakaraan mo)

LIFE’S APPLICATION:

For Meditation:

Days:
1.   Matthew 7:7-11
2.   Romans 8:15
3.   Mark 14:36
4.   Luke 15:25-32
5.   Romans 8:38-39
6.   Hebrews 12:5-11
7.   Psalms 68:5 ; Hebrews 12:10

Note: You can email your meditations to the facilitator.

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