A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (June 13, 2017)
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
Father’s Day is coming up soon on Sunday, June 18. It is very important that we recognize and celebrate our natural fathers. However, it is even more important to recognize and celebrate God, our Spiritual Father. It seems that all too often we tend to project the actions of our earthly fathers onto our Heavenly Father which is a big mistake. That kind of thinking can adversely affect our lives for years until we recognize that the actions of our natural fathers do not necessarily reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father. We also need to be aware that there are two spiritual fathers that we need to understand and deal with.
In John 8 we see a lengthy discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees that were constantly trying to delegitimize Jesus and question his authority. The following is a brief response from Jesus:
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketah a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. (John 8:42-45)
It is very important for us to know the differences between these two fathers (God and the Devil). I hope the following list of character comparisons will assist you in identifying those differences:
1. Life vs. death (John 3:16)
2. Giver vs. taking (thief) (John 10:10)
3. Light vs. darkness (John 8:12, Psalm 119:05)
4. Forgiving vs. accusing (Psalm 103:12, Rev. 12:10)
5. Truth vs. lies (John 14:6)
6. Building up (edifier) vs. tearing down (destruction) (2 Corinthians 10:8)
7. Faith vs. fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
We live in a time where the advances in social media have made it easier and easier to promote outright lies and distortions of the truth. That is why being able to discern the Spirit behind these things becomes more and more critical. Do they promote life or death? Do they create harmony or confusion? Do they bring about unity or discord? Do they honor or dishonor? Do they edify or destroy? Do they create fear or faith? You are the one that has to answer these crucial questions.
Just remember this. The Bible tells us that the deception will be so strong in the end-times that even the elect could be led astray. However, if you know God, know His Word, and know His heart, you will not be led astray!
