| Author | Message | ||
| Cindy |
Dear Friends, Hi everyone...:-)) Last night I was blessed again by a sermon at the church Iíve attended the past few months. The pastor began with the words of Jesus when He was specifically asked, "Lord, teach us to pray..." "He said to them, 'When you pray, say: FATHER'," What does the name "Father" mean to us? Us who are, even in the best of circumstances, brought up with imperfect earthly fathers? The pastor said this was a very hard concept for him to grasp--a loving Father. He was born an "illegitimate" child and raised with a succession of 6 stepfathers! He then went into one of my favorite stories of Jesus..."the Prodigal Son"... or as could be more correctly titled, "the Wonderful FATHER"! The Loving FATHER who waits for us to return from our various "far countries"... then RUNS to meet us! The FATHER who is: BIG GRACIOUS READY AND WAITING COMPASSIONATE SACRIFICIAL AFFECTIONATE AFFIRMING In light of these attributes; what does it mean to "come home" and "come clean?".... I wish you all could have been therewith me. I know the Holy Spirit was there in the midst of us. And now today I have been listening to Roy Clarkís singing of ìYesterday, When I Was Youngî. I like it even though it is such a melancholy song. It reminds me of the prodigal son story and what we eventually have if our focus is on ourselves, what we can accomplish and possess in this life. Listen to these words: "Yesterday, when I was young... the taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue. I teased at life as if it were a foolish game, the way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame. The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned; I always built to last on weak and shifting sand. I lived by night, and shunned the naked light of day. and only now I see how the years ran away. Yesterday when I was young... so many happy songs were waiting to be sung. so many wild pleasures lay in store for me. And so much pain... my dazzled eyes refused to see. I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out; I never stopped to think what life was all about. And every conversation I can now recall, concerned itself with me, and nothing else at all. Yesterday, the moon was blue; and every crazy day brought something new to do. I used my magic age as if it were a wand, and never saw the waste and the emptiness beyond. The game of love I played with arrogance and pride and every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died. The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away. and only I am left on stage to end the play. There are so many songs in me that wonít be sung I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue... The time has come for me to pay for yesterday when I was young." We all have our own "far countries" to come home from... back to the Father. And it is a continuing lifetime journey; one for which we are called to come home completely; leaving no part of us back in that far country..... I am so thankful for the kind of FATHER we have. A FATHER who has taken the initiative and reached down to us at the CROSS OF CHRIST. A FATHER WHO HAS FORGIVEN and REDEEMED ALL OF OUR PAST! (and our PRESENT and FUTURE!!) And He waits patiently, wanting us to realize the real FREEDOM we possess when we stay in the Father's house and loving care... Grace always, Cindy | ||
| Lori |
Here is something for you all to think about: Was there any time during the story of the prodigal son that the son was not a son? At what point was the prodigal son, no longer the child of his Father? The prodigal son is a beautiful story of once we are saved, once we belong to the royal family of Christ, no one (not even ourselves-not even our actions, whether based upon ignorance or arrogance) can remove us from the Father. Just like the prodigal son we will suffer because of what we may decide to do, but we are always still a child of God. We may not act like a child of God and we may not feel like a child of God, but we are anyway!!!! This is my favorite parable because it is the one that made me understand that I have security in Christ, he will never give up on me!!! No matter what I do, he will always keep me in his family. There is no other securtiy that can make you feel as loved as this!!! "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, he can not deny himself". 2 Tim 2:13 The prodigal son was not faithful, he was negative to the ideas of his father. He thought that he knew a better way, a faster way, a happier way. The Father waited patiently, knowing that while his son was following his own course that he would suffer many things. What the Father desired and had offered to his son was the best!!! But the son made decisions that put him in filthy rags. The Father waited, there was no point that the Father threw up his hands and said, "Oh!! forget it, this son is a loser, I'm not fooling with him anymore, he is no longer my son!!" The Father always continued to watch for him hoping that he would come back to the blessings of being a son. When he did come back did he have to "work" to regain his place? NO! --Rather he stood in awe at all the Father lavished upon him, thinking how grateful he would be just to be called a servant of his Fathers, he wasn't trying to come back as a son, just as a servant. He only wanted to receive the blessings of association with the Father, he didn't even care if he had the title. The prodigal son left in arrogance. The prodigal son returned in humility. In arrogance he was an unteachable son. In humility he was ready to learn even the job of a servant. There are many "sons" of Father out there who are arrogant sons. They think they know a better way than the grace of God. They think they have a power and knowledge that exceeds the Father. Isn't it beautiful that the Father keeps us as His own while we go about in our arrogant ignorance and then when we have tried it all and return we are humble and willing to take the job-any old job-if he will just let us be his servant! But he does not demote us and make us start over, he does wait while we grovel as his feet, he immediatlely lavishes His blessings upon us. | ||
| Denisegilmore |
Hello Lori, That happens to be one of my favorites among the parables too. I agree with you on its meaning. Blessings to you always, DtB, your sister in Jesus our Christ |
