Winners in a generation of losers

Protecting and preserving our children means helping them understand how to win and remain winners.


Introducing the Judges
They were the post-Joshua leaders, temporary shepherds but they were really rescue specialists because the generations after Joshua were losers in life. The judges were the winners among losers.


The passage for this preaching comes from Judges 4:1-23

Judges 4:1-23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Judges 4

Deborah and Barak Deliver from Canaanites

 ¹ Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. ² And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. ³ The sons of Israel cried to the LORD; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years. ⁴ Now Deborah, a ^[a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to^[b]sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. ⁶ Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “^[c]Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. ⁷ I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his ^[d]many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’” ⁸Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹ She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up ^[e]with him; Deborah also went up with him.
 ¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the ^[f]oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
 ¹² Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. ¹³ Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, fromHarosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. ¹⁴ Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands; ^[g]behold, the LORD has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵ The LORD ^[h]routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from hischariot and fled away on foot. ¹⁶ But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.
 ¹⁷ Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸ Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a ^[i]rug. ¹⁹ He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a ^[j]bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.²⁰ He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” ²¹ But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and ^[k]seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. ²² And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered ^[l]with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
 ²³ So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.

Now a recap on the summary of the story of the generations.

First Generation: The Exodus Generation
Second Generation: The crossing of the Joshua Generation AKA as the generation of conquerors.
Third Generation: The suffering and plundered generation - the generation mentioned in Judges 2:10

The 3rd generation - had the privilege of inheriting the land.

                            - but were raided constantly by other people

In a generation of losers, on comes out as an exemption. He is the "Judge", the winner in a generation of losers.

Now the question is: "How can we help the losers?"

First Lesson: Help them understand the victory to defeat formula, then urge them to protect their victory.

• Choose wicked as your way of life
• As a consequence, the burden-giver comes(Sisera)
• Wickedness exposes our weaknesses and magnifies the power of the enemy. ea (hearing the Word of God but not following the will of the Lord)

Second Lesson: Help them understand defeat to victory formula, then urge them to take the path of victory.

• I'll confess that I can't make it without God, so I will call upon Him. (in this way God sends a deliverer)
• I'll submit to spiritual leaders because God usually works through them.
• I'll do what is necessary even if it may sound difficult.

Parents duty is God Given! We must comply!

Parental authority has its limits (age and concept of what is excitement)

Parental authority, when consistently refused ushers in the teachers called painful experience.

My prayer is for the parents that they may guide their children in the way that they have a connection with the church they are in and have the passion to serve the Lord in any ministry. I also pray for my future, and also to my future wife that in time that we decide to have our own children we will be able to guide them and nurture them with the teachings of Christ, that even though they will live in a time where the generation will be filled with criminals and corrupt people they will be different and be the salt and the light of the world. Thank You Father for this reminder. Amen.

Be Blessed!

A failure of no small measure: legacy-less life

As the saying says: "Kung anong puno, siya ring bunga"


What a person leaves behind is called:
4 Kinds: 

1. Legacy - "sasadyain" to be left behind. Coming from the word [Legate].
2. Heritage - sum total of your life you have left behind.
3. Bequest - whoever will benefit has been identified.
4. Patrimony -  An endowment or estate belonging to an institution, especially a church.

Every believer is expected to leave behind a spiritual legacy without which the one who passed away is viewed as a failure and the one left behind will more likely be a failure also. [until God intervenes]

A generation that did not leave a legacy will lead means the failure of the succeeding generation which is attributed to this legacy-less generation.

The passage comes from: 

Judges 2:1-23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Judges 2

Israel Rebuked

 ¹ Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, ² and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not ^[a]obeyed Me; what is this you have done? ³ Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will ^[b]become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’” ⁴ When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. ⁵ So they named that place ^[c]Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the LORD.

Joshua Dies

 ⁶ When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. ⁷ The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who^[d]survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel. ⁸ Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. ¹⁰ All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel Serves Baals

 ¹¹ Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and ^[e]served the Baals, ¹² and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger. ¹³ So they forsook the LORD andserved Baal and the Ashtaroth. ¹⁴ The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. ¹⁵ Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.

 ¹⁶ Then the LORD raised up judges ^[f]who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers. ¹⁸ When the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. ¹⁹ But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways. ²⁰ So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers ^[g]did, or not.” ²³ So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Given are the three kinds of generation from the past lessons:
First Generation: The Exodus Generation
Second Generation: The crossing of the Joshua Generation AKA as the generation of conquerors.
Third Generation: The suffering and plundered generation - the generation mentioned in Judges 2:10


What were the failures of the legacy-less generation:

1. The failure of the parents in their lack of total dependence of God (Bochim - weeping situation). 
   - They converted their Gilgal (God's will) to Bochim (A place of weeping)
   - This could be synonymous to managing our lives on our own.
   - Parents behavior affect children.
2. The failure to transmit their faith to their children.
   - The next generation were not taught the right worship.
   - God was no longer part of their daily practice.
3. Failure to maintain a shepherd guarded community
   - A time when judges were appointed after Joshua's death (who was their spiritual shepherd)
   The next generation did not know what the Lord had done.
   - there was no more shepherding
   - in our time, our generation do not want pastors but are more willing to watch a preaching. They do not want to be led.
   
   This is WRONG and will only lead to suffering!

One thing Pastor Doy said was children should not be pulled to church by their parents it is a voluntary attitude for the youth to bring themselves to church and be knowledgeable of the legacy that our early Christians had left. Parents must not have partial dependence on God, it is essential that to influence their young to be completely dependent with God they should show their devotion to their spiritual community and definitely their complete and undivided dependence to God.

Now the question is: What is the legacy that you will leave behind for children?

Be blessed!

Could our relationship with God be more than we think?

Is there more with God?

This preaching is from Church of God Makati by Pastor Jonathan Heppner during the 5pm service.

Ignorance is bliss 'till it kills you.

The passage comes from Genesis 26:12-24

Genesis 26:12-24

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹² Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. ¹³ The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.¹⁴ He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.
 ¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”
 ¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
 ¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek,^[a]because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^[b] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[c] saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
 ²³ From there he went up to Beersheba. ²⁴ That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 26:20 Esek means dispute.
2. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
3. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means room.

Wells represent experiences, traditions or those who have gone in faith.

Are there things we inherit that we don't know its there?

Are there in our history that has been filled with?

What is your inheritance?

What is your spiritual heritage?

Who has laid a foundation for you?

Tangible inheritance that God is waiting for us to claim:

1. Cane Ridge Revival

2. Charles Finney

3. Welsh Revival Evan Roberts

Have we been deceived? Part of our spiritual DNA is really special.

We have no idea what God has done in the beginning of churches or revivals here in the Philippines or relatives. We have been really busy that we have become complacent with our Christian life.

Isaac realized 2 things:

1. For him to lay claim, he had to sink his own wells.

The old wells were not enough for who he has become.

We do not know what God can do for one submitted soul.

4 kinds of people in the world:

1. No knowledge of God - Lost

2. Some knowledge with God - Christians by name

3. Whom God know - Christians by passion

4. Those who know God - Societal Change Agents - these are people by choice and not called 

God waits for people who want to be this. People who are not called to pray or change the world or to preach it we should have been natural as part of our nature as a Christians. People who do what they ought to because of reasons that is not a calling. Problem is we do not want to be used. 

Esek - contention, quarreling, disputing 

Sitnah - Enmity, accusation, opposition, attack

Rehoboth - Room, broad place for everybody

WE ARE SLEEPING IN THE PURPOSE OF GOD

Matthew 13:15-16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
   they hardly hear with their ears,
   and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
   hear with their ears,
   understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]
   16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Proverbs 29:18

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
   but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

SEE THE WORD OF THE LORD!

Jeremiah 2:31

New International Version (NIV)

 ³¹ “You of this generation, consider the word of the LORD:
   “Have I been a desert to Israel
   or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
   we will come to you no more’?

WAKE UP!

Romans 13:11

New International Version (NIV)

The Day Is Near

 ¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

FREE YOURSELF

Isaiah 52:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 52

 ¹ Awake, awake, Zion,
   clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your garments of splendor,
   Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
   will not enter you again.
² Shake off your dust;
   rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
   Daughter Zion, now a captive.

BE ON GUARD

Mark 13:35-36

New International Version (NIV)

   ³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

Mark 14:37-38

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

WHAT IS THE HERITAGE YOU LEAVE FOR YOUR CHILDREN?


You have been informed!

Revelation 16:15

New International Version (NIV)

   ¹⁵ “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Joel 2:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Joel 2

An Army of Locusts

 ¹ Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sound the alarm on my holy hill.   Let all who live in the land tremble,
   for the day of the LORD is coming.
It is close at hand—
 ² a day of darkness and gloom,
   a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
   a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
   nor ever will be in ages to come.
 ³ Before them fire devours,
   behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
   behind them, a desert waste—
   nothing escapes them.

Wells of imagination: we need to believe and pray; revivals around the world have left a heritage for us. Remarkable stories of change.

Wouldn't we all want the world to say that here in the Philippines: "the Lord is there!"

Ezekiel 48:35

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁵ “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.^[a]

   “And the name of the city from that time on will be:

   THE LORD IS THERE.”

So what should we do now!

1. Deal with sin radically
2. Prioritize your life
3. Commit yourself to pray

God bless everyone!

Envy, Jealousy: attitudes destroying families

A preaching on envy and jealousy was the topic one Sunday afternoon in CCF. I'd like to share what I have taken down from that preaching.


The passage comes from Psalm 73:1-3; 12-28:

Psalm 73:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 73

   A psalm of Asaph. ¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
   to those who are pure in heart.
 ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
   I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
   when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalm 73:12-28

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹² This is what the wicked are like—
   always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
 ¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
   and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
   and every morning brings new punishments.
 ¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
   I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
   it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
   then I understood their final destiny.
 ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
   you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
   completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
   when you arise, Lord,
   you will despise them as fantasies.
 ²¹ When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
   I was a brute beast before you.
 ²³ Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.
 ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
   you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
   I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
   I will tell of all your deeds.

The title of the message was: "Overcoming the green eyed monster by delighting in the Lord"

This was in reference to Shakespeare's character in one of his stories which refers to an envious monster. Who in the Bible can be compared to Asaph who is found in Psalms. 

 it is seen in this passage how it is not a healthy attitude because  it affects your ministry, your family, your relationships, and to the rest of the world. 

As you can even see, it is one of the 7 deadly sins and is colored green which really says a lot about this attitude.

Asaph was confused about the prosperity of sinners:

• Peace of the sinner
• Pleasure of the sinner
• Pride of the sinner

DO NOT VIEW LIFE IN A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE


Paul's warning is given in Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

It is important that we define both terms.


Envy: burning desire to have; coveting what another has.
Envy is always wrong


Jealousy: burning desire to keep.
Jealousy is not always wrong - natural or normal feeling to surface when meaningful covenant relationships are threatened by unfaithfulness. 

2 Corinthians 11:2-3

New International Version (NIV)

² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Exodus 34:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

so we see the difference of these two terms which we mistakenly use interchangeably, let us check ourselves with these two attitudes.

The preacher gave out a list of deeds that are caused by our flesh, it is incomplete though: boastful, critical, resentful, begrudging, competitive, greedy, demanding, performance based acceptance, not allowing outside relationship, threat of losing relationships, etc...
I believe our society is filled with these deeds that causes broken relationships and our work attitude is affected because of these things. It all starts with envy and jealousy which is an attitude that shouldn't be in our hearts.

James 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

So what should we do? Run to the Lord!
Asaph saw:
Future of sinner, and himself. (v. 17b - 20)
Foolishness of self (v. 21-22)

We have been guilty! It says in Psalm 75:4-7

Psalm 75:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
   and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.^[a]
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
   do not speak so defiantly.’”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

New International Version (NIV)

 ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

To end, we see that we are to delight in the Lord if we want to remove this attitude of envy and jealousy in our workplace, in our homes, or in any institution that we are in.

Psalm 37:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
   trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
   your vindication like the noonday sun.

 ⁷ Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.

1. Rest in God's Love
2. Resist comparing ourselves with others
3. Maintain healthy competition

God Bless everyone!

Fatherlessness

Father's Day Preaching


After a month of not blogging, I'm back to share what I've learned! It's been a busy month so I apologize for the delay. I have been thinking a lot about these next few blogs as they have affected me greatly. The messages have continually been relevant to me and has fed my soul so much each week.

Question we are faced with is: What is fatherlessness? What is the difference of fatherless from fatherlessness?

Fatherlessness was defined as : may tatay nga hindi naman namumuhay parang tatay. Fathers that do not act/live like fathers.

While to be fatherless meant: having no father in its physical sense.

Another term was given out and it was Anti-paterianism which was defined as: ayaw kumilos na parang anak, na tipong hindi na sumusunod sa magulang. Not acting like a child to the point that the child is no longer following the parents.

So with this problems we are reminded that we ought not to make our earthly fathers as a basis of what a father should be. This brings us to the question, who is a good father or what makes a good father?

Our scripture comes from Matthew 6: 9 - 13 from the New American Standard Bible 

Pray, then, in this way:
   ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]


From this prayer we can give three points as to what a good father should be at home.


1. There is a good relationship in your home.

Coming from the where it says: Our Father in Filipino it would say Ama namin, this is how we know that there is a relationship. The awareness of titles and  the acknowledgement of who your father is a good sign of a relationship between fathers and children. It is also made aware through the behavior of children that shows that others do know that they have a working and loving relationship with their father. 

Dysfunctional relationships often lead to broken homes. When fathers are not able to discipline their children they create delinquent kids and they rebel and is a prevalent problem among youth. I believe fathers have an enormous responsibility in molding their kids that if not done right will lead to so much problems in the future. It's been an observation of mine that most children that have "father issues" often don't have a direction in their life and ultimately have issues with the whole family. Issues of being irresponsible and having no sense of spirituality because there is not proper training or guidance given by the father. Mothers will do their best to teach them to at least be their best but the father's influence is essential to any child's growth as an individual.

2. See to it that there is righteousness at home.

Fathers have the responsibility of meditating on the Word and eventually sharing it to his family. It is his task to bring his family together and share the gospel. To teach them to be holy and show them everything there is about the goodness of Christ. It is the father's responsibility to lead a spiritual life as an example to his wife and children and to his friends and workmates. That his family may continually be filled with the truth of the God and that they maintain koinonia in their home. This is the only way to maintain the right relationship with your family, a peaceful home that has something to share about each day and not a house that is filled with people who silently hate each other and isn't eager to be together at all.

3. Be able to manage resources.

It is he who divides the blessing to the family which is the daily bread. Pastor said: "Hindi madali mag-ipon at magpakain sa mga anak." Para sa akin puwede pa itong dugtungan: magpa-aral, magpa-gimmick at atbp. But we all get the picture. Those fathers that work so hard will do everything for their family to have a comfortable life and live the life that they deserve. Unfortunately not every father is selfless. A father that knows how to manage the resources and blessings given to him by God knows what he is doing because he follows God. God teaches us "Give us this daily bread" meaning that fathers are to worry about today and not for tomorrow. A father that has strong faith will never worry about tomorrow as to what to eat and if God will provide for his family but of course this still comes with hard work and dedication to his responsibilities.

So these are the three points as to what a good father ought to be. Taking God as an example we are left with the responsibility, especially to men out there, to keep knowing God that we may be good fathers in the future. In addition to these three points. Pastor Doy pointed out that there are certain practices at home that must be removed and that is shouting among family members. It is not a healthy practice among family members to be verbally abusing each other and degrading each other of their dignity. There must be respect most especially coming from the father being the head of the family. Father's should be gentle but firm with their instructions, forgiving, understanding and be filled with patience. Lastly, if parents want to provide for their families they should never opt to do it the wrong way or illegally. To set as an example to your family is not to desperately earn money through ways that will compromise you or your family just to experience a life of luxury. Mothers and fathers must live by the Word and live an honest life, live by faith that God will provide and to put away all their anxieties.

This topic is very personal to me because I know what it meant to live in house that experience fatherlessness. But somehow it was confusing too in my part. This part you may know me better by me sharing a phase of my life that happened just a few years back. Back when I was younger me, my mom and my brother were often beat up because we've had such a dysfunctional family and koinonia wasn't there at all. Attending church separately, not talking during lunch or dinner, parents go overtime and when they get home it was straight to bed. We were all fighting from cousins even to housemaids and this lasted until my mom passed away 5 years ago. I was left with my brother and eventually he had to remarry which we had no choice but to accept for my father's own good. By this time fatherlessness became worse, the gap became wider and from cold and broken relationship it turned into hatred that eventually led to me leaving my home to study alone for a year. At this point it, I was being fatherless. I had no parent but an aunt to help me out. Having no father or mother to guide me, I taught myself to live, I taught myself what my parents should have taught me while growing up but this didn't make me weak and be rebellious. I wanted to prove to them that being battered and verbally abused wasn't helping me and that I was insecure enough to even go through this life as an individual, that what they do to me affect my relationships outside my home. To be be fatherless or experience fatherlessness was for me not having confidence in myself, I lacked training, I was pressured, I was a mess. I didn't know myself fully, I had a hard time accepting things and forgiving those who have wrong me as pride ate me up all those time that I had for myself. But it has been years and I have learned to forgive and God has been gracious and merciful in accepting me again and forgiving me. Learning the Word and catching up to so many things my father would have taught me. This is what I meant when I was confused. My father knew how to manage his resources, in fact he was a diligent and hard working man but with issues with temper back then. He was holy and very devoted, and up to now he is very active so he was never lacking in the knowledge of God he just didn't share it with us with much joy. Once in a while you'd feel that he is teaching us to be holy and that the importance of prayerful life was essential but he was so stiff and selfish with his knowledge that we never really had that same understanding of the Bible and it was entirely up to us to understand it. So for me and my family it was really about the relationship, there are deeper issues that I cannot disclose to everyone that explains as to how complicated our problem is as father and son. I grew up not saying po or calling him dad, and we've just grown to feel uncomfortable around him and it is only these past year that this has been fixed and years of healing is needed to patch up a broken relationship. So to conclude, fathers greatly affect the future children. As cliche as it may sound there really is no other way to put it. It is not only compensated by their presence but is really what they teach and impart that help make us(as children) who we are.

My prayer is for the next generation of fathers to come that they invest their time on their children properly. That they value God's Word and that they live holy lives that they may be the one to lead their family to Christ and that they will enjoy each other completely. I pray that fathers will know the right kind of parenthood that the next generation of worshipers will not stray away from the truth and that the faith may be transferred to them as well. Amen