"Happy Father's Day - My Heavenly Father!"

Twenty-two years ago, my father passed away on Father’s Day. I never had close relationship with my dad. My dad was character and had a weird philosophy for life. My parents divorce when I was young and after the divorce he was hardly around. I had suffered abandonment issues and emotional abuse too. Also there were times he didn’t financially support us five kids. Over the years I grew to hate my dad. Many of times I wished he would disappear off the face of the earth. Even though I hated my father, I still loved him because he was my father. That is why it hurt so much.

One of the greatest things that happen to me was when I was 16 yrs old; I was converted to the LDS Church. It was during this time period, I developed a relationship with my Heavenly Father. My Heavenly Father broke through the hardness of my heart and He became my Heavenly Abba my Heavenly Daddy. Since that moment He worked on my heart and my deliverance.

One day while I was praying and seeking forgiveness for some sins that I had committed. The Lord spoke into my spirit and said the following "I died for your father on Calvary too!" Wow those words hit me hard and broke through my hardness and right then and there I forgave my father. The Lord gave a new love for my dad.

Over the next following years my Heavenly Father worked on my emotions and my heart. Shortly after my son Jason was born, the Lord led me to ask my dad for forgiveness for my past hatred. I was prayed up and I went to my dad's place to seek his forgiveness. I poured out my heart to my dad and shared with him why I use to hate him. I even shared with him that one point in my life I want to get a 5-pound bag of sugar and pour it in his gas tank of his new Cadillac, so I could hurt him where it counted. But thank God I didn't. After I was done confessing, I asked for his forgiveness.

I was expecting a complete healing between my dad and I. I was hoping that there would be forgiveness and hugs, but it didn't go that way, My father said to me, "Steve you may have legitimate reasons for hating me, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing," Wow! That was like a hit in my gut and it tore me apart. But thank God, I was prayed up in my spirit. I didn't lose my cool and the Lord spoke to me and said "You did what I told you to do, so leave it My hands now."

The following years the Lord just gave me a love for dad and I made sure I spoke to him on weekly bases or send him notes and cards too. With in the two years my dad was at death's door. On his deathbed, he asked for forgiveness and he got his heart right with the Lord and he died peacefully. Those last days with my dad were the closes I felt. I had peace in my heart that some day in the hereafter I will have the relationship with my dad that I always wanted.

I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father delivered me for all that hatred and bitterness. Shortly after my dad's death, I was in prayer and I saw in my spirit me standing at foot of my Heavenly Father's thrown and I saw myself crawling on my Heavenly Father's lap with my face pressed against His bosom and He was filling me with His love. 

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for filling me with His love. It was His love that made me whole.  I am now looking forward in having my parents sealed in the Temple and I myself being sealed to them.

I am grateful that I have a Heavenly, who loves me and cares for me. Happy Father’s Day – my Heavenly Father!

 

                            Also Happy Father’s Day Dad!

“Be One In Accord and Purpose”

 “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12

When we are by ourselves, the enemy of our soul can easily attack us and cause to fall to the wayside and eventually cause us to lose our salvation.  In the above scripture, it says when there are two of us; we can withstand the wiles of the devil. In 1 Peter 5:8 it states that devil is like roaring lion and seeks whom he can devour. So when the two us are together we are stronger because we are united to fight off the devil attacks, especially if we are in unity and in purpose. It also says in above scripture a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken. That third part of that cord is Jesus Christ. With Him being part of that cord, the enemy can’t destroy us. In Romans 8, it says if God is for us, who can be against us. It also says that nothing can separate us from His love. Because of Him, we are more then conquerors for we can do all things through Christ strengthen us. 

We need to be in one accord and one in purpose in our daily walks. Another words Jesus has to be the center in our lives and in our relationships. In gospel of Matthew 18:20, Jesus says the following, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When He is in the midst of us, there is love, unity and peace. When He is in the center, we can move forward in doing the Lord’s work. I have two Mormon missionaries friends and they are walking in unity, love and purpose, because Jesus is the center in their lives and they are about doing His will. Since they are walking in one accord, the Lord is opening doors for them to minister the Word of God. The fields are white and ready to harvest and all they have to do is put their sickle to the field and bring in the harvest.

I would like to encourage you to put Jesus daily in the center of your life and in the following areas: your relationships, your work place and in all that you do. We put Jesus on the thrown of our hearts, but due to our own pride and ego, we push Him off the thrown. When that happens, we go off track and lose our way and fall into sin. So when that happens, I would encourage you to repent and place Him again on thrown of your heart. Another words let Jesus take the driver seat in your car and let Him do the driving. He will take you to the places so you can be His living epistles. What better way can one share His love?