“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.” John 5:19-20 (NASB)
Dear family of friends,
Manhood, and particularly fathers, have taken an image beating in the American culture over the last 30 or more years. We have been made to look foolish, even stupid, on a regular basis. Any TV program that is popular reminds many of that nightly.
And honestly we have, in far too many cases, had it coming, for we have been out of the picture. Men, even as making up half of the population, have basically lost the role they were created to fulfill. They let it go, and now can’t seem to get it back. I share this from my man’s perspective.
Some of this action has been the result of what one Bible teacher in the 1970’s called the “renegade male” – we abdicated our role as fathers and husbands, concentrated far too much on our daily work, and let the family grow up without the proper presence of the husbands and fathers on the scene. “Let the women do it” has resulted in that – the women have done it. For that I am thankful for, but we have surely missed the absent husbands and fathers.
Our culture has thus extremely paid the price – men and women from my generation missed the instruction and correction that fathers were to give. Without that male model in their lives, our own children have now grown up, many with no father influence in their lives at all. Maybe they see Dad now and then, but it is as if they are just another man who they know little about, or receive any love from at all, other than a material gift or two at a birthday or holiday time.
In my recent regular morning Scripture reading, I have been in the Gospel of John (Yochanan was his Hebrew name, being a Jew.) The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) has begun to open my eyes, and my heart, to the many times Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of His Father.
Jesus had a special relationship with His Father. Of course, being they are One from all eternity (which someday we will understand, once fully in their presence) there is no separation or distance between the two.
And yet, Jesus spoke, as quoted in John 5:19-20, that His earthly mission depended upon further knowing, hearing, following and learning from His Father. And as Yeshua did that, His Father clearly showed Him what to do, when to do it and how to do it.
You know, I want that relationship with my Father too. I long to be so close to knowing God the Father, that I can walk more confidently and boldly in the tasks He has given me to do. I want that same relationship that Jesus has with His Father, Who now is also my Father in heaven.
God the Father, the One who loves us so much that He gave us His Only Son, is committed to restoring that relationship with us. We may not have received the love, encouragement and ongoing nourishment from our human limited earthly father, but we certainly can now from our Heavenly One.
I want to get to know my Father more. I hope you do too.
Ahava to my family of friends,
Steve Martin
Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.
E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com
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Ahava Love Letter #83 “The Father” ©2013 Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (11/01/13 Friday at 5:30 am in Charlotte, NC)
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