Heavenly Father, The Invisible and All Knowing God. You Are the Only Wise God. We are before You to thank You for all Your goodness in our lives and situations in the Past week. We are acknowledge Your Ever presence around us. We say thank You, Lord.

Beloved, we will be dedicating today’s devotion to “All our Father and potential Father’s in the house”. Yesterday was “Father’s day” and they were celebrated worldwide. We are going to leave some “notes” for our “Father’s” to read. While trusting God, Who called them in the Ministry to will uphold and keep them to stand firm in the area of calling till the coming of Christ in Jesus Name.

Who is a “father”? Or how can you defined a “father”? Being a biological father does it entitles you to being called a father or are they duties that qualifies you to be called one? Someone is saying, am not yet a father but don’t forget that “a child today is a father tomorrow”. For those whose fathers are late, never mind, you still have a lesson to teach either your own child or someone in the society, so ride on.

You can agree with me that there are fathers and there are fathers. Individual, we all have an experienced of being raised either by our biological father or adopted father or both. So you can answer the above question based on such an experience. You can also draw your answer from what we will communicating to you via the message today.

“An Excellent Father” Gen. 18:18-19

We will be considering this under these headings

  • The Father evils:
  • The Absentee Father
  • The Present but Unavailable Father
  • The Helpless Father
  • An excellent father is a defender of his father
  • An excellent Father is a Godly Father
  • The fatherly Excellence:

Beloved, have you ever wondered where Adam was while Satan beguiled his wife, Eve? In our present time, this evil have also ravished many homes. It is an evil thing for a man not to be where he is supposed to be. Adam fall because he was not where God asked him to be. Beloved not redeployment or relocation, not disagreement, nor desertion, not divorce should cause a man to leave his home and expose them to undue danger.

The Present But Unavailable Father: This type of father is not physically absent, and yet, he is not available to his family. Like the unfruitful vine, he has no time and he is not useful to the home as well. His role, duties and responsibilities as a father is conspicuously lacking. The example here in the bible is Samuel. Though he travels home but he was not able to rub off his godly values on his children (1 Sam.7:15-8:1-3).

The Helpless Father: The helpless father is a man who is not absent, he is even available, lives in the same house with his children and wife but has little or no idea of how to lead his lead his own life, much less that of his family. He does not know how to father either because he was never fathered or he refused it. Example in the bible is Eli (1 Sam 2:22). He did nothing about the training and correction of his children. As Eli refused to discipline his family, God took it upon Himself to do it for the entire family. This resulted not only in losing their genealogical heritage of national priesthood but also father, children and daughters-in-law died on the same day. What a tragedy! (1 Sam 3:12-13).

The Fatherly Excellence: The father that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (Dan.11:32b). Strong father will do exploits for the Lord in their family. (Ps 127:4-5). Good parents train their children in the way of the Lord (Pro 22:6 29:15). A child left to himself is a disaster waiting to happen. (Isa 54:13-14) they shall never enjoy the peace of God neither will they be taught of God. An excellent father is one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (1 Tim 3:4). Thus gravity is not materiality gravity but attitudinal. It is the solemn and serious character that an excellent father disposes in the upbringing of his children. Any father who falls in this, will be a failure in the church, and not worthy of honour in the society. He is a disservice to God.

An Excellent Father is a Defender of His Family: Before any wise woman can build her house (Pro. 14:1), the wise father must first provide the superstructure that will carry the house. It is the foundation that determines the durability of any house. Any foundation on a shifting and a sinking ground will develop differential settlement which will make crack on the house manifest and invariably a collapse. Any father whose superstructure is not embedded on the Rock- Jesus, (Matt 7:24) will be defenseless against shifting, cracks and or collapse. With Christ there is the great potential for spiritual, physical and social-economic defense. Even when there is an attack, such fathers are able to maneuver their family to secure safety (Jn 16:33).

An Excellent Father is a Godly Father: God’s plans and biblical ideas for the family remain unchanged, but not unchallenged. The biblical model family is one husband, one wife, and their children, bounded in love. They are loyal to the family, and each constituent unit performs his or her role and obligated responsibilities.

The man who is a husband to his wife and a father to his children is vital to the family. He is expected t lead his father with good examples, for others to fellow. Let us also consider the exemplary life of Christ to the church as husband is expected to be unto his own wife:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.” Ephesians 5:25

What a golden example Christ gives to His disciples! Few masters could venture to say, “If you would practise my teaching, imitate my life;” but as the life of Jesus is the exact transcript of perfect virtue, He can point to Himself as the paragon of holiness, as well as the teacher of it. The Christian should take nothing short of Christ for his model. Under no circumstances ought we to be content unless we reflect the grace which was in Him.

As a husband, the Christian is to look upon the portrait of Christ Jesus, and he is to paint according to that copy. The true Christian is to be such a husband as Christ was to His church. The love of a husband is special. The Lord Jesus cherishes for the church a peculiar affection, which is set upon her above the rest of mankind: “I pray for them, I pray not for the world.” The elect church is the favourite of heaven, the treasure of Christ, the crown of His head, the bracelet of His arm, the breastplate of His heart, the very centre and core of His love.

A husband should love his wife with a constant love, for thus Jesus loves His church. He does not vary in His affection. He may change in His display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same. A husband should love his wife with an enduring love, for nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A true husband loves his wife with a hearty love, fervent and intense. It is not mere lip-service.

Ah! beloved, what more could Christ have done in proof of His love than He has done? Jesus has a delighted love towards His spouse: He prizes her affection, and delights in her with sweet complacence. Believer, you wonder at Jesus’ love; you admire it—are you imitating it? In your domestic relationships is the rule and measure of your love—”even as Christ loved the church“?

In summary, an excellent father is not an island or a borough, he lives in the community with others for God. He is a father with an excellent mindset/Spirit. One who not only teach but he applies his teaching.

May God help all our father’s and potential fathers to be what He wants them to be in Jesus Name. To make ready a home that will be worthy to be part of the “LAST SUPPER”.

Please forward this message to all male contact for our better tomorrow.

This week is blessed in the Name of Jesus. Amen!

Remain blessed in the Lord.

 

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IFEOMA OHONDU is the founder of the MattersoftheHeart foundation, a platform where issues affecting our everyday life are discussed and where necessary proffer solution. She is part of the end time army, who will not break their rank to fulfill the urgent call of God upon her life by declaring His word to the helpless, the doubting, the comfortless and the dying world. The world will experience great restoration and healing in the Word of God through her ministration. She is a voice to emphasize key spiritual truth about Faith, Healing and Encouragement.