THE FATHER’S 5 MESSAGES FOR 2014:
1. “What you ignore will enter your home!”
“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my
slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and
gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.”
(Genesis 16: 1-4)
Take a closer look at what Sarah allowed to happen. She only ignored—and approved—one sexual intercourse by initiating Abraham to sleep with her slave, Hagar, and it turned out to be a
permanent disaster for her household! That one casual attitude towards sin has resulted in an endless feud between her descendants and Hagar’s, from generation to generation.
What you sow outside will you reap inside your own house. For instance, if you deliberately harbor hatred towards someone at work and do not correct that attitude in you and/or in your colleagues,
when it is in your power to change; no matter how good of a family man you are, you will import cancerous bitterness into relationships in your own household. Therefore, sow life over death; sow
love over hate—at least for the sake of your own family!
2. “Be present and available for your children!”
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or
else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
(Malachi 4: 5-6)
This year, God doesn’t want us to neglect on our juniors. He can hardly wait to bless our children! As parents, our task is simple; be present and available for them, especially in their critical
moments, big days such as birthdays and graduations, and just at anytime they would need us the most. Make time to be there for them; sit beside them in their rollercoaster ride of life. Let’s pray
and ask for God’s wisdom to arrange our time and priorities next year for our children.
3. “Set higher goals, heaven commands!”
“Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and
horsemen of Israel!” Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the
king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will
completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of
God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three
times.” Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so
they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.”
(2 Kings 13: 14-21)
Have you ever wondered how in the world the dead body came to life when it touched Elisha’s bones? Because Elisha had to take his “leftover” anointing back to his grave. What a waste! That
anointing was supposed to be swooped up entirely by king Jehoash in the final days of Elisha.
Listen to heaven’s command. Don’t “discount” God’s grace this year; the sacrifice of Jesus is too priceless for us to be just a “mediocre”. Here’s the truth: totality and perfection is our Father’s DNA!
4. “Step over your enemies and walk on!”
“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to
guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the
serpent.”
(Psalm 91: 9-13)
If we have experienced so many downfalls last year—in business, finance, relationships, etc.—, get up again and move on! Learn to forgive—and forget; Jump over every obstacle, and do not let
yourself feel beat up by your situation, nor be too caught up by the moment. Remember this, the higher God takes you on His mountain of success, the more flaming arrows are expectedly targeted
on you. Therefore, do not feel every arrow that pierces; don’t glorify the pain! Just keep on walking into the next obediences, and let God deal with your enemies and with your past!
5. “Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness!”
“Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”
(Psalm 29: 1-2)
Above all, be committed to personal holiness. What makes personal holiness so crucial is the fact that, without it, we can’t see the Father God. Besides, we must never treat with contempt what
Jesus has bought us on the highest price—forgiveness. And holiness is the best—if not the only appropriate—follow up on such forgiveness. Enter His presence in the splendor of a holy life; and
you will get noticed!
By: Philip Mantofa
