Whether you know it or not, your relationship with your father is significant because it influences your thoughts and feelings about God. Since God is our Eternal Father, nothing is more important than knowing Him. So, as a father, what is God like? How does He desire to relate to us? Is he the type of father who will abandon us? Is he the type of father who is distant? Is he the type of father that is around but not engaged in our lives? Or, is he the Perfect Father that never changes in his unconditional love for his children?
To understand what the perfect Father is like, first we must understand what we are like without Christ. Romans 3:10-11 and 23 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because of our sin, all we deserve, and yes this includes every single one of us, is hell. This is important to comprehend, because without this understanding, we can not appreciate what God has done for us as the Perfect Father.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.” One of the characteristics of a perfect Father is that he is a giver. Remember, the wages of sin is death. That is the bad news. However, the gospel is more about good news than bad news. The second part of Romans 6:23 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The greatest gift ever given in the history of humanity is Jesus Christ. Without this gift we would all burn in eternity forever. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Another characteristic of the perfect Father is that he loves unconditionally. The gift of his son Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of the Father’s love. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Finally, our Perfect Father is compassionate and gracious. Psalm 103:8-13 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (9) He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; (10) he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
God's grace is described with four characteristics in Psalm 103:8-13. Verse 8: God has a long fuse. Verse 9: God has a short memory. Verse 10: God has thick skin. Verses 1112: God has a big heart.
The Perfect Father’s heart, like the distance between east and west, cannot be measured. On a globe, if you go north, you'll eventually reach the North Pole, and if you keep walking in a straight line, you'll start heading south. Eventually, north meets south. Not so east and west. If you go east around the globe, you never reach west.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Perfect Father
As I lay in bed wishing I had more time to sleep, the first sounds I hear in the morning are the words of my one year old Noah over the monitor. As you can imagine, these sounds are much more heart-warming than the buzzing sound of an alarm clock. My soul is filled with anticipation and excitement as I rush to his room, desiring to be the first one to see him, and open the door and say, “Good morning Noah.” As the smile from his face causes him to drop the pacifier from his mouth, he looks up at me and says, “Da Da”. Noah will then reach down and hand me his teddy bear that he sleeps with as a morning offering, as I quickly pick him up and begin kissing his face.
As I enter the kitchen my two other boys, Josiah (6) and Ethan (4), are usually eating their breakfast. As soon as they see me, they get down out of their chairs and run toward me shouting with delight the words, “Daddy”. I pick them both up in my arms and squeeze them tight while kissing their face and saying the words, “I love you.” What a great way to start my day. There are two great joys in my life. It is a joy to be a husband and it is a joy to be a father.
One of the reasons I have been able to be a good father is because I have a father who loves and cares for me. My father worked hard to always provide for me and my brother. He was our coach and our biggest fan at the same time. He was affectionate and verbally affirming by constantly communicating his love for us. His involvement in my life produced a deep security in my soul and helped shape my identity as a man. No, he was not perfect, but he gave me his best, and for that I am eternally thankful.
Unfortunately, my story of fathering and being fathered is more of an exception today than a norm. One hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago the premise that a child should live with a father in a nuclear family was universally held. Father absence was considered a tragedy, and a father who left his children was considered unmistakably deviant. Not so today. Divorce when children are involved is well-accepted by more than three quarters of the (American) population. And there is a growing acceptance of childbirth without a father in the home, especially among the young.
Dr. Wade Horn said, “If we stay on the current course, one day the United States will be known as the country of the founding fathers…with no fathers to be found.”
God hates divorce because it breaks something up that He doesn’t want broken up: the family. God hates divorce because it devastates women when their husbands abandon them for other women, and vice versa. God hates divorce because it kills kids. It crushes kids. It extinguishes the life in their little emotional hearts. God hates divorce because He loves children. Children need fathers. God hates divorce because it sets in motion a destructive pattern for future generations. Adult children from divorced homes divorce at a rate four times greater than kids from homes where there was no divorce. When divorce enters into a family chain, it tends to stay there – unless Jesus Christ intervenes (Malachi 2:10-16).
Malachi 4:5-6 says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. (6) He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Today, I believe we live under a curse as a nation because so many fathers have abandoned their children and abdicated their responsibilities as a Dad. The men of this nation need an encounter with their heavenly Father, and as a result, our land will be blessed because the father’s hearts have been turned back to their children.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and stay tuned for Part 2 on "The Perfect Father."
As I enter the kitchen my two other boys, Josiah (6) and Ethan (4), are usually eating their breakfast. As soon as they see me, they get down out of their chairs and run toward me shouting with delight the words, “Daddy”. I pick them both up in my arms and squeeze them tight while kissing their face and saying the words, “I love you.” What a great way to start my day. There are two great joys in my life. It is a joy to be a husband and it is a joy to be a father.
One of the reasons I have been able to be a good father is because I have a father who loves and cares for me. My father worked hard to always provide for me and my brother. He was our coach and our biggest fan at the same time. He was affectionate and verbally affirming by constantly communicating his love for us. His involvement in my life produced a deep security in my soul and helped shape my identity as a man. No, he was not perfect, but he gave me his best, and for that I am eternally thankful.
Unfortunately, my story of fathering and being fathered is more of an exception today than a norm. One hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago the premise that a child should live with a father in a nuclear family was universally held. Father absence was considered a tragedy, and a father who left his children was considered unmistakably deviant. Not so today. Divorce when children are involved is well-accepted by more than three quarters of the (American) population. And there is a growing acceptance of childbirth without a father in the home, especially among the young.
Dr. Wade Horn said, “If we stay on the current course, one day the United States will be known as the country of the founding fathers…with no fathers to be found.”
God hates divorce because it breaks something up that He doesn’t want broken up: the family. God hates divorce because it devastates women when their husbands abandon them for other women, and vice versa. God hates divorce because it kills kids. It crushes kids. It extinguishes the life in their little emotional hearts. God hates divorce because He loves children. Children need fathers. God hates divorce because it sets in motion a destructive pattern for future generations. Adult children from divorced homes divorce at a rate four times greater than kids from homes where there was no divorce. When divorce enters into a family chain, it tends to stay there – unless Jesus Christ intervenes (Malachi 2:10-16).
Malachi 4:5-6 says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. (6) He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Today, I believe we live under a curse as a nation because so many fathers have abandoned their children and abdicated their responsibilities as a Dad. The men of this nation need an encounter with their heavenly Father, and as a result, our land will be blessed because the father’s hearts have been turned back to their children.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and stay tuned for Part 2 on "The Perfect Father."
Monday, June 11, 2007
Getting Out of My Box (es)
For those of you who don’t know, the Miller’s have moved into a new home location. I hate moving! However, I am happy to say, “It is finished.” These were the last words of Jesus during his crucifixion, and yes, moving is an excruciatingly painful experience. I am sure it is not as bad as dying on a cross, but probably close.
For one straight week, there was nothing fun about lifting heavy awkward boxes and furniture through narrow spaces with a stressed out Puerto Rican lady (my wife Cindy) taking out all of her moving frustrations on me in two different languages. For all those who have ever moved with a family of five or more, I am sure you understand what I am talking about. All I can say after moving is, “Thank God we don’t take any of our stuff with us to heaven.”
As I began the process of unpacking, I found myself thinking about how so many people stay stuck in their religious boxes. Instead of having a vibrant living relationship with God, so many people reduce God down to a bunch of “thou shall not’s”. To these people, God is a belief system instead of an omnipotent Spirit who has revealed Himself to the world through his Son Jesus Christ. The fact that God sent his Son in flesh and blood is very important because this means we can now know him personally by being filled with His Spirit.
How do we keep from putting our religion into a box? Hebrews 12:1b says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I would love to share with you the new revelation I received while unpacking my boxes.
First, you have to be willing to go through the process of change. If you are going to walk with a living God, you have to be willing to go where he is leading you. This could mean leaving a certain sinful lifestyle, cutting out unproductive or distracting activities in your life, changing current routines and habits, attending a new Spirit-filled church, finding a different peer/support group, etc. It is impossible to be close to God and demand He stay in your box of preferences or conveniences.
Second, you have to be willing to examine everything in your life and throw out the unnecessary baggage. The good thing about moving is that is forces you to go through all of your stuff. How in the world do we collect so much junk? Cindy and I threw away or gave away boxes and boxes of stuff and a collection of furniture. They were simply things in our life we did not need. If you want to have a living relationship with God, you have to be willing to examine your life and throw out all the rubbish that is hindering you from being close to Him.
Lastly, you need to persevere in your new environment once you have unpacked your box (es). Change always makes us feel uncomfortable because we are going into something new and unfamiliar. However, if God is leading us into something new, we can be confident that it will ultimately be better for us. God knows this even before we make the move, it just takes time for us to adjust emotionally, physically, socially and mentally.
Cindy and I know that God led us to move and now that we have settled and unpacked all of our boxes, we are thanking God for the new things he is doing in our lives. To get to this moment was incredibly inconvenient, but it was well worth it.
Remember, as God begins to shout from the box you put him in by nudging you into something new, wherever he is leading you and whatever He is changing in you will end up being a blessing in your life.
And, don’t worry; your wife will eventually apologize for wanting (or trying) to kill you during the process of change.
For one straight week, there was nothing fun about lifting heavy awkward boxes and furniture through narrow spaces with a stressed out Puerto Rican lady (my wife Cindy) taking out all of her moving frustrations on me in two different languages. For all those who have ever moved with a family of five or more, I am sure you understand what I am talking about. All I can say after moving is, “Thank God we don’t take any of our stuff with us to heaven.”
As I began the process of unpacking, I found myself thinking about how so many people stay stuck in their religious boxes. Instead of having a vibrant living relationship with God, so many people reduce God down to a bunch of “thou shall not’s”. To these people, God is a belief system instead of an omnipotent Spirit who has revealed Himself to the world through his Son Jesus Christ. The fact that God sent his Son in flesh and blood is very important because this means we can now know him personally by being filled with His Spirit.
How do we keep from putting our religion into a box? Hebrews 12:1b says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I would love to share with you the new revelation I received while unpacking my boxes.
First, you have to be willing to go through the process of change. If you are going to walk with a living God, you have to be willing to go where he is leading you. This could mean leaving a certain sinful lifestyle, cutting out unproductive or distracting activities in your life, changing current routines and habits, attending a new Spirit-filled church, finding a different peer/support group, etc. It is impossible to be close to God and demand He stay in your box of preferences or conveniences.
Second, you have to be willing to examine everything in your life and throw out the unnecessary baggage. The good thing about moving is that is forces you to go through all of your stuff. How in the world do we collect so much junk? Cindy and I threw away or gave away boxes and boxes of stuff and a collection of furniture. They were simply things in our life we did not need. If you want to have a living relationship with God, you have to be willing to examine your life and throw out all the rubbish that is hindering you from being close to Him.
Lastly, you need to persevere in your new environment once you have unpacked your box (es). Change always makes us feel uncomfortable because we are going into something new and unfamiliar. However, if God is leading us into something new, we can be confident that it will ultimately be better for us. God knows this even before we make the move, it just takes time for us to adjust emotionally, physically, socially and mentally.
Cindy and I know that God led us to move and now that we have settled and unpacked all of our boxes, we are thanking God for the new things he is doing in our lives. To get to this moment was incredibly inconvenient, but it was well worth it.
Remember, as God begins to shout from the box you put him in by nudging you into something new, wherever he is leading you and whatever He is changing in you will end up being a blessing in your life.
And, don’t worry; your wife will eventually apologize for wanting (or trying) to kill you during the process of change.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Aim for Perfection
(11) Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 (Apostle Paul to the saints at Corinth)
After running around the track at Premier Health and Fitness Center, with one of my life-long friends, we began to talk about one of our baseball coaches we had when we were teenagers. While we were huffing and puffing during our cool down, we discussed our coach’s hard-nosed disciplinarian style.
To give you an idea of what this coach was like, I will tell you how he introduced himself to me. At my first practice under his tutelage, as he was watching me throw, he commented on how I was throwing the baseball like a girl. Then, he asked me a question and I answered with a “yea” instead of “yes sir”. Next thing I know, I was running a lap around the baseball field for not responding to him properly. This discipline is just what I needed because I was a cocky thirteen year old teenager.
This coach’s specialty was working with outfielders. He demanded perfection as he would take us through our different drills. For every mess up or error, he made us run a lap around the baseball field. Without exception, every player who participated in his outfielder drills ended up running laps. Sometimes, many of us would run up to fifteen laps after our outfield sessions.
Through hard work, I won a starting spot on the team as a centerfielder, which was the most important position to my coach. Because this coach demanded perfection from his centerfielder, I would go on to play the best baseball of my life under his leadership. He demanded perfection and we became the best fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball team in the world. He saw destiny in us and knew what it took for us to become great. Our success was no accident.
In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This passage means to be complete and mature in your faith. I wonder how many Christians aim for perfection. Unfortunately, I have met so many Christians who settle for mediocrity and failure in their faith. Because of this attitude, these Christians live well below God’s standards for their lives. At best, they are barely hanging on hoping to slip into heaven when it is all said and done. They are making no impact for Jesus in this world.
Jesus did not die a brutal death and offer his life as a sacrifice on the cross for us so we would live in sin and defeat. No, he expects us and empowers us to be like God, who is our Father is heaven. God commands and demands that his people obey. 1 John 2:5-6 says, “(5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
My fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball coach demanded perfection and he got it. I played three years at centerfield without making an error. I was complete and mature as a centerfielder. He also instilled in us a work ethic and mindset that enabled us to become World Champions. I have a permanent love in my heart for this great coach who would settle for nothing but our best.
Just like my coach, Jesus requires our absolute best and knows what it takes for us to attain greatness. Hebrews 12:2a says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” As we embrace God’s discipline, we too can be mature and complete in our faith, and become champions who change the world for Jesus. Go on...be a Champion for Christ!
(10) Our fathers (and coaches) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share in his holiness. (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.” Hebrews 12:10b-11
After running around the track at Premier Health and Fitness Center, with one of my life-long friends, we began to talk about one of our baseball coaches we had when we were teenagers. While we were huffing and puffing during our cool down, we discussed our coach’s hard-nosed disciplinarian style.
To give you an idea of what this coach was like, I will tell you how he introduced himself to me. At my first practice under his tutelage, as he was watching me throw, he commented on how I was throwing the baseball like a girl. Then, he asked me a question and I answered with a “yea” instead of “yes sir”. Next thing I know, I was running a lap around the baseball field for not responding to him properly. This discipline is just what I needed because I was a cocky thirteen year old teenager.
This coach’s specialty was working with outfielders. He demanded perfection as he would take us through our different drills. For every mess up or error, he made us run a lap around the baseball field. Without exception, every player who participated in his outfielder drills ended up running laps. Sometimes, many of us would run up to fifteen laps after our outfield sessions.
Through hard work, I won a starting spot on the team as a centerfielder, which was the most important position to my coach. Because this coach demanded perfection from his centerfielder, I would go on to play the best baseball of my life under his leadership. He demanded perfection and we became the best fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball team in the world. He saw destiny in us and knew what it took for us to become great. Our success was no accident.
In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This passage means to be complete and mature in your faith. I wonder how many Christians aim for perfection. Unfortunately, I have met so many Christians who settle for mediocrity and failure in their faith. Because of this attitude, these Christians live well below God’s standards for their lives. At best, they are barely hanging on hoping to slip into heaven when it is all said and done. They are making no impact for Jesus in this world.
Jesus did not die a brutal death and offer his life as a sacrifice on the cross for us so we would live in sin and defeat. No, he expects us and empowers us to be like God, who is our Father is heaven. God commands and demands that his people obey. 1 John 2:5-6 says, “(5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
My fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball coach demanded perfection and he got it. I played three years at centerfield without making an error. I was complete and mature as a centerfielder. He also instilled in us a work ethic and mindset that enabled us to become World Champions. I have a permanent love in my heart for this great coach who would settle for nothing but our best.
Just like my coach, Jesus requires our absolute best and knows what it takes for us to attain greatness. Hebrews 12:2a says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” As we embrace God’s discipline, we too can be mature and complete in our faith, and become champions who change the world for Jesus. Go on...be a Champion for Christ!
(10) Our fathers (and coaches) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share in his holiness. (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.” Hebrews 12:10b-11
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