A Letter From My Father

“All scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

I've met quite a few people who treat the Bible like a college text book. 

And they seem to know a lot about the bible. 

But I wonder how really know God personally, intimately? Like a child knows his own father?

So I prefer instead to look at the Bible—God's Word—as a Letter from my Father.

Here's how a note from my Dad might have looked when I was younger:

"Mark, don't forget to take out the trash. And be kind to your Mom and your brothers and sister. Take care of the house while I'm away. I'll see you when I get home. Love, Dad."

That short note says a lot.  

First, I know that my Dad loves me. Nothing can ever change that. He's my Dad. I'm his son. The foundation of my childhood was my parents incredible love for me. I will never forget that.

Also, nothing in his note is merely a hypothetical suggestion. These are all my father's directives. They must be carried out. And even though my Dad loved me, if I ignore his directives, there will be consequences. He could be a very strict disciplinarian at times. And I had the utmost respect for his authority as my father. Taking out the trash was one of my chores. It was not negotiable. And though I did obey his directives knowing there would be consequences if I disobeyed him, more than that, I loved my Dad and wanted to please him. 

And more than anything else, if I was not especially kind and respectful to my Mom, but also to my siblings, there would be swift consequences. You simply were not disrespectful to my Mom. There was never any excuse for that. And retribution was very painful. Not that I wanted to be disrespectful to her. She was such a wonderful mother. She loved us so much. And she constantly gave of herself for our good. But I was an obstinate and rebellious little sinner. And when I mistreated my Dad's wife... oh boy, look out! Punishment was soon to follow. And you always got what was coming to you. "Just wait till your father gets home young man!" Those words instilled fear into us when we were disrespectful brats to my Mom. 

As the oldest son, Dad put a lot of responsibility on me to look after the house while he was away hunting, or camping with his friends. "Take care of your Mom while I'm gone" was something I heard from time to time as a young teenager. And I did my best to honor the trust and responsibility he placed upon me to do so. 

But within all of this, I always knew my Dad would come home as he said he would. And though he was not a perfect husband or father, I never once doubted my Dad's love for me, or for our family. He was a man with true integrity, and was always faithful to love us, protect us, and provide for us. I always felt safe with my dad. And that always instilled a peace and assurance in our hearts as a family that Dad was always there for us. There was never a doubt about that. My Dad was absolutely trustworthy.

So when I read the Bible as a Letter from my Father, I see in page after page, His incredible love for me. I see His absolute faithfulness and trustworthiness. I see His amazing grace, forgiveness and mercy towards me. I see His care, protection and promises to me. And I see that He will, just as He has promised to do, come back to take me Home, where I will be with Him forever, in the place He has prepared for me, and for all those who love Him and call Him; "Father."

Jesus said:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (John 14:1-4)

In the Letter from my Father, I see many commands and instructions. I see lots of teaching and correction. I see admonishment. And I see even more encouragement. I see many examples of how I am not to be. And I see many more of how He wants me to be. I see warnings. I see edification. I see His face and His heart in the pages of this eternal Letter to His children. I see the loving sacrifice He made for us all by dying on that cross. I see His power as God in rising from the dead and defeating death, hell and the grave. I see His glory as He ascended back to His rightful throne in Heaven. I see sin and the devil ultimately defeated and thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity. I see myself and billions of His other children in the new heaven and the new earth He will make one day. I see us all as His eternal family living in the New Jerusalem that comes down out of Heaven, adorned as a bride for her Husband. For her Divine Groom; Jesus.

And I see in His Love Letter to us, a bright shining place where His glory shines so bright that there is no need of the sun or the moon. I see a place where there is no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more sickness, forever. I see perfect peace, joy, happiness, and satisfied contentment, with Him, forever and ever.

You can't get that from a college text book.

But you can get that from Jesus—the Living Word. He is the way, the truth, and the life; and no one comes to my Father in Heaven except through Him.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

The Ripple Effect

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." 

(Mark 16:15)

The Ripple Effect:

“The continuing and spreading results of an event or action.”

It's been my observation over almost sixty years that people rarely consider fully, the consequences of their actions and choices.

A couple of years ago a high school kid from our community was busted for drug dealing on a scale never before seen in this area. He had several employees working for him in what turned out to be a multi-million dollar operation. He's now serving a well deserved ten year sentence in a federal prison. 

I've read a few comments by people who know him, including one person who said, "I am sorry that this has happened to him." 

Like he's the victim here?

What about the hundreds, possibly thousands of lives that have been destroyed by this incredibly selfish criminal? What about all those people who are now Oxycodone and/or heroin addicts, who have lost virtually everything; their jobs, their income, their homes, their families, some even their very lives? I don't hear anyone who knew this kid saying how sorry they feel for all his victims—for an entire community that will be affected by this criminal for many years to come. The consequences of his crimes and selfishness are more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined. God can save and forgive even the most notorious drug dealer. But the long term damage to this community has been done.

The divorce epidemic is out of control today. People are throwing away their spouses like yesterday's garbage. Tearing their families apart. Some divorces are sadly unavoidable. But most are not. People simply do not want to forgive each other. Selfishness reigns in this self absorbed culture. And people have no idea how far-reaching the effects of divorce are on their children. They have no way of seeing twenty to thirty years into their child's future, and see how emotionally scarred their children will become from the toxic fallout of their parents divorce. I can speak from experience on this topic.

On the positive side I see the ripple effect of my late Mother's love for God and for people. She shared the love and Gospel of Jesus with me when I didn't think I needed it and didn't want to hear it. She prayed for me for many years until I surrendered my broken heart and life to Jesus. She risked my anger by loving me enough to point me to the only answer to my shattered marriage and broken soul. She loved me unconditionally when I wasn't being very lovable.

“The continuing and spreading results of an event or action.”

Two thousand years ago the humble Son of God named Jesus came to take away the sins of the world by allowing Himself to be brutally nailed to a Roman cross, taking the guilt and shame of all sin upon Himself. He paid for my sin crimes against God by giving His life that day for me—and for that drug dealer—and for you. 

Will you believe that? 

That "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Without the life-changing, soul saving, heart transforming love and grace of God, my marriage would never have been saved. I would still be a bitter, unhappy man. I would still be lost and dead in my sins. I would still be without hope. I would still be utterly broken and ashamed. 

But God reaches down and offers all men the free gift of salvation in Himself. Often times, when we least expect it. Or want it.

If you're reading this message, He is reaching down to you today, offering you eternal life in Himself. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can come to God the Father except through Him.

Will you let him?

Will you invite Him in?

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.