FATHERHOOD “Your life is touching people, your dreams have come to pass, the Lord has filled you his purpose you ‘re a world changer and a history maker.” This were the words in the song, Edmonds Owhorode sang with the esteemed members of LEOAN towards the young, middle and advance aged brothers… He also sang the song: “Father You mean so much to me ABBA, Your love none can compare, Father you mean so much to me, your glory your love is over me”… And other melodeous songs which puts voice on our faith. Edmonds clarified the true meaning of orphans. Orphans Orphans are those who doesn’t know their father and how to relate him. There are those in the Church who doesn’t have a father they are like spiritual bastards and vagabond. These are those without responsibilities toward the church, the Christ said “I will not leave you orphans… but will send you another comforter to you”… “If you cannot recognise the mistakes your family made then you are reproducing it.HOW FATHERS are made up through mentoring. Fathers are supposed to be mentors. Fatherhood is not about age, experience and biological reproductive competence but rather it is the ability to mentor and reproduce the bests of their life on their children or protege The beautiful thing about fatherhood is nobody teaches you how to be a father. But God’s Word teaches us how to be a father. And if you follow it, you will be an unfailing father. In Psalm 68v5, the bible says “A Father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His Holy habitation”. Now, the scripture is very clear concerning who God is, that God is a Father to the fatherless. Let’s lay a foundation of the concept of “orphans” today. Who is an orphan? Apostle Edmonds used to think orphans are those who do not have a father. But, orphans are not those who don’t have fathers because for you to be in this life, you have to have a father except you came like Jesus Christ. There is only man who came without a biological father and He is Jesus Christ. So, an orphan is not the one who doesn’t have a father but is the one who don’t know his/her father and cannot have father relationship with his/her father. So, by that definition many of us are orphans.
People in churches are orphans spiritually. There are two reasons why they are orphans. One they are irresponsible toward a father or they have not found a father. In 1Corinthians 4v15, the scripture says that you may have many instructors in Christ, but there is only one father. Peoples’ post day and night in the internet, profile, DP etc., and that is fine. But if you live that in the world, one day the world will be evangelized. We have too many good preachers but we do not have too many good reality people who live the Word. So, that is the reason we say they are orphans in the church. And the very vivid word Jesus Christ said is amazing. He said “I will not leave you orphans”. That’s why He gave to the church apostles, pastors, prophets, teachers and evangelists for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry. First the saints need to be perfected and then they are able to do the work of the ministry. And that is how BTS (Basic training session) came forth. So, there are many orphans in the church. They just come in and go out of the church. When they remember, they come to church. When they remember to support the church, they bring the support. When they are not fine, they don’t give the support. They have reasons why they will not be consistent. These are orphans spiritually. Christ said when he was living “I will not leave you orphans; I will send a comforter to you. He will teach you all things”. Hallelujah! There are lots of mistakes in your family. If you are not able to recognize those mistakes, you are reproducing it. It is one thing to recognize your mistakes in your family and it is another thing to detach from it and work right opposite to it. Great respect to those who do not park, where their fathers parked in life, especially when the life of their father really really questions many things in their faith. Apostle Edmonds said “If my life does not show you how to trust Jesus Christ and how to live a victorious life on earth, never follow my examples and don’t even share my message with anyone. It is destructive. But if my life is showing you these things and you don’t do it, then you are defrauding yourself”. The scripture tells us about fatherless/orphans. There are two types of orphans. There are orphans who do have physical fathers but their fathers are not fathers. There are orphans who walk away from their father. There are orphans who do not have relationship with their fathers. So, these are different types of orphans but only one type of orphans we know - those who do not have a physical father. And it is not possible for you to be in this world without a father. Apostle Edmonds said what his earthly father couldn’t do, God did it for him through His anointed men and women. Their examples have corrected Apostle Edmonds’s mind and given him a straight path to take and he followed it. Some of them he never saw them, but just heard their tapes, read their books and their lives imparted to him. One of the ingredients to the process of fathering is mentorship. One of the characteristics of a father is mentoring. They teach. When a father mentors and if he always gives correction, that mentorship is lacking. One of the most effective mentorship is to see the mentor in the reality of what they are teaching. Fatherhood is not about experience or age or biological ability of reproductivity. It is not your ability to conceive a woman that makes you a father. In that way you are just a biological animal, the potency to reproduce. When God created Adam and Eve, the fatherhood in them was not activated. They had not even discovered father in God. How could they father? Even though the breath of the Almighty was in them which had in it the automated features of the life of God, but they had need to experience what it is to be a father. Fathers are not fathers by position. They are fathers by responsibilities. Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 4v15 that you do not have many fathers in the Lord. You may have many teachers, many mentors, instructors (in today’s world internet is also one of the instructors for many) but you do not have many fathers in the Lord. So, how do we give birth to Children through the gospel: 1. By sowing 2. By mentorship – Mentorship is not by invitation. It is by recognition. Someone recognized a mentor in you. Everything you learn makes you a potential mentor. And, if you are not learning from what you are supposed to learn you are delaying your mentorship program. Father characteristics are not just teaching or knowledge based. Otherwise professors will be first fathers, scientists and inventors will be first fathers. Fatherhood is not just knowledge or revelation but responsibility. And it is not the responsibility you think like money, cash etc. No. It is the responsibility to reproduce the favor of God that is in you, in others. In Romans 4v17, we see first father of many nations. The bible talks about God calls those things that are not, as though they were. And there he introduced us to his plan of making Abraham – the father of many nations. Bible scholars call Abraham a father of faith. And those who have faith in Jesus Christ know that Abraham is their father. Abraham is not their father because of the tribe or cast or resemblance but because of faith. Faith is the connection. Distance is not a barrier. God made Abraham a father of many nations. So, we boldly say “Abraham’s blessings are mine…”. This is where we also see Fatherhood of Jesus Christ, for the bible says He will be called wonderful counselor, Mighty God and an everlasting Father. Why? Mentorship! He teaches you how to live with The Father because The Father sent Him. He called His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Here we see the Fatherhood of Jesus Christ. He and The Father are one. There are people who teach the Word of God, the insight, the concept, interpretations, accuracy but you don’t have many fathers. Who is your father? Jesus said in John chapter five “what I see my Father do, the same I do”. If you see what your Father does, and are not doing what He is doing, then it means He (Yahweh) is not your Father and you are an orphan because there is no relationship between you and your Father. God is branded today as Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why? These men followed the mentorship of The Father. In John 5v17, the bible tells us that Jesus saw His Father working. What are you seeing in your father (spiritual)? True fathers serve. The Lord said “I come not to be served but to serve”. So, we discover from here that fathers serve. (Marks 10v45) Few things you should not do to your father: In Ecclesiastes 6v3, the bible says the things in lives cannot satisfy fathers. The satisfaction that comes to a father is when they see their lives in you. Though a father may have hundred children, he is not satisfied and goes to grave without getting satisfaction. The verse says a miscarriage is better than that. Never do that to your father. How you should be to your father? Luke 15v11 – From this story, we should be mixture of both these sons. We should say “yes” and do it as well. You should be willing and obedient. (Isaiah 1v19). When you are accepting, you are willing and when you are doing, you are obedient. Lastly, we see the life of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our mentor, a father figure who revealed The Father to us. He is The Father in flesh. In Philippians 2v8, we see how Jesus was willing and obedient. Abraham took Isaac to the altar of sacrifice in obedience to Yahweh. Apostle Edmonds further spoke about his mentors who mentored him. How they changed his life! They are fathers. (Message by Apostle Edmonds Owhorode, extracted by PR)
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