Growing Older With God’s Grace

By Brenda Gittens
        

The subject of aging has been deep down in my spirit. Not just because I've seen my father grow gracefully up in age, but because his baby daughter realizes that she, will one day be gracefully older too. Questions of aging aren't only asked by the "aged", they're asked by young and middle age adults who are already concerned with age issues in regard to their physical health and attractiveness, their career, their ministry, and many other issues.

Well, God has given us all we need to enjoy life right now. "Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17). We should still be planning and looking forward to the future, the Apostle Paul even described in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 how he yearned and longed to be present with the Lord "at home", but how we live today is the real secret of aging with grace. If we want to increase the chances of still being active, healthy, beautiful, and handsome at age fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, or even one hundred, we have to take care of ourselves today with proper care, activity, exercise, and diet.

I mentioned beautiful and handsome because I can't help but think about all of the older people whom I've known since I was a child, and I see them today and they’ve just gotten gray, that’s all! My Dad is one of them. If we want to be spiritually stronger in the future and leave a lasting mark through those whose lives we've touched, then we've got to pray without ceasing, stay in the word, minister, and stay in the total secure will of God. Are you looking forward to growing gracefully older? To seize means to lay hold of or take possession of by force. Seize the day, and enjoy it and live it fully with the grace that God has given you!

Scripture of the day: “I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” - Isaiah 46:4

Brenda Gittens is a worship evangelist, singer and writer who ministers in word and song at churches, prisons, outreaches, and other events throughout California and other states. Her latest CD is entitled, Real Praise/True Worship. Brenda is also a devoted wife and mother of one son. You can reach her at: http://www.brendagittensministries.com.…

The Father’s Love for His Children

By Dr. Marvin Moss
        

Our text is about the parable of the lost son. The son wasn’t lost in the sense of location, but he was lost relative to his sense of family, his sense of responsibility, and his sense of salvation. The bible says in Luke 15:17 that when he came to his senses, he began to reflect on the position he had and the position he was in. Today let us reflect on the position we had and the position we’re in; let us reflect on the position in the Kingdom of God. In the beginning, God created man and gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. That’s the position we had. But the position that we’re in today is one of lack, lost, left out, left behind, stress, worry, frustration and hesitation, and struggle.

But the good news is that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. The good news is that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we could ask or think. But in order for the commands and decrees of God to be effective in our lives we must be in the family. For that reason, if you’re in a place of isolation, desolation, or frustration, then it’s time to declare to God, I’m hurt, but I’m coming home.

God desires that we desire to come home to Him. The Bible says that the father agreed to divide the wealth between his sons. The younger son’s share was 1/3 while the older sons share was 2/3. The younger son tells his father I want my share of the estate now, instead of waiting until you die. He wanted what he was entitled to earlier than he was supposed to receive it. Does this sound familiar? Our eagerness to “have it now” causes us to be blinded to what God is trying to do in the way of preparation and separation. God is trying to prepare us to receive the new while he separates us from the old. And just like God, the father, said okay. He didn’t argue, didn’t debate, didn’t delay. He just agreed. God allows us to go through certain things just so that we can learn what happens if we Wait upon the Lord.

The bible says that when the son finally came to his senses, he said to himself, “At home even the hired men have enough to eat and here I am dying of hunger.” He didn’t come to his senses while the money was there and the living was good. He didn’t come to his senses while everything was flowing. He came to his senses in the midst of his mess. This is a good reminder for us today. God will not leave us while we are in our mess. He’s still trying to work it out. We need to connect with one another the way that God connects with us. The bible says that when the younger son came to his senses, he thought about what it was like at home, and decided he would go home and apologize to his father and declare his unworthiness. In other words he was hurt, but he was going home.

While the son was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. As the story goes the father prepared a feast not because his son had returned, but because his son was once dead but now had come back to life. What an example of a father’s love.

Our heavenly Father desires that we come back home. He knows that we’re hurting, but He says come back home. Where we’ve been, what we’ve done, has served to make us who we are. Come back home to the arms of a loving, all-knowing, forgiving Father.

Scripture of the Day: "When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father’s hired men have good to spare and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: father I have sinned against heaven and you." - Luke 15:17-18

The Reverend Dr. Marvin Anthony Moss is Senior Pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church. As a “Light in the Community,” Cascade places an emphasis on developing quality programs which nurture children and youth, and teaches the principles of giving time, talents and resources. Since his arrival in June 2006, more than 50 ministries perform…

A Father’s Love

By Jermaine Lawrence Anderson
        

As he approaches the bench, the judge begins to let him know how he has seen him enter the courtroom every day, sit on the back row and say nothing. The old man begins to respond to the judge stating that the defendant may be guilty on all counts and that he may have committed the crimes he was accused of, but "your honor, that is my son and I am asking that he receive a second chance."

This is how the father treats us. He is loving, kind and most off all shows us mercy just as the verdict is about to be rendered on our lives. Not only does the father ask that we receive mercy, but He takes it a step further and takes our place for the filthy sins that we commit against each other and most of all against him. “O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 136:2

It is difficult for any natural father to live up to the standards set by God our father, but He is our supreme example of the role model for all human dads. Despite our shortcomings, despite our failures, despite our faults, His love and compassion does not fail.

Fathers must develop a love, faith and trust in their children that will not fail despite the situation or circumstances that life brings our way. Abraham is known as the father of faith and just as he trusted God, he received the promise. The blessings would now be to his children and his children's children even as many as the Lord God shall call. It takes BIG faith to trust God at 75 years old when He says that your 90 year old wife Sarai will bear a child. What Abraham did not know was that because he trusted God, this was the beginning of blessings generations to come.
In His trusting God, Abraham still obeyed. He obeyed God when asked to sacrifice His son, the son that God promised would be a deliverer to the world. And even in his trusting God at the last moment, God sent a sacrifice. Therefore, it is definitely worth it to TRUST in God. Abraham could have chosen to ignore God but because of his great FAITH he believed God and carried out the instructions, he was given. There is truly a blessing in obedience.

Scripture of the Day: “I will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy and steadfast love away from him.” - 1 Chronicles 17:13

Jermaine Lawrence Anderson serves on the Executive Leadership Team at the 6,000+ member Apostolic Faith Church in Chicago, IL. Jermaine also serves as President and CEO of Kingdom Resources, a faith-based consulting firm that focuses on increasing Kingdom visibility and ministry productivity. http://www.jermainelanderson.com…

Ever Present

By Aqualyn Toi Jones
        

Every day in America 4,184 babies are born to unmarried mothers (State of America's Children 2008 Report). Of that number over 1,000 of them are born to teenage moms. Today, over 40 percent of our children grow up in a home without a father.

My heart goes out to children who grow up without fathers in the home. I'm the quintessential "Daddy's Girl." I can't think of a time when my father wasn't physically, mentally, emotionally and financially present in my life. From Thanksgiving Day parades to teaching me to ride a bike and drive. In moments of despair and moments of celebration. He has always been there. Just like another father I know.

Thankfully, we all have a Father in God on whom we can depend. One who promises to never leave or forsake us. One who knows everything about us and yet, still loves us the same.

It's somewhat easy for me to believe that Father God is concerned about me - that He has plans for my life. I've had a biological father who is a great example of that. I can believe that God loves me because I believe that my father loves me. I believe that Father God accepts me as I am because my Dad continues to do that in my adulthood.

Whether we realize it or not, we often transfer our beliefs, disappointments, and thoughts about our biological fathers onto our Heavenly Father. It's hard to believe that Father God is for me when I didn't feel that my father was for me. It's hard to see God as trustworthy when I wasn't able to trust in my earthly father. If my concept of fathers has been damaged or unstable, my relationship with God will reflect some of that uncertainty.

Fathers have to be ever-present. Children never outgrow the love, affection, and discipline that fathers provide. Regardless of our age, we find peace in knowing that our fathers are still present. Long after we've moved out on our own. Long after we've obtained a job and can afford to take care of ourselves. We still need you. We always have and we always will.

Let us first question what it is we feel in our hearts toward our fathers. Then, let's not be afraid to admit what we find there. And if we find some damage and broken areas, let's take the steps that are necessary to heal. Then, let us ask that same question in regards to our Father God.

What we find there may surprise us, but there is nothing too hard for God.
Scripture Of The Day: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8 (ESV)

Toi Jones is a writer and an advocate for youth, underdogs, and all things (and people) that are broken and overlooked. Compassionate at her core, Toi is also an educator, a mentor, and a supporter of multiple initiatives for South Africa. For more information about Toi, log onto http://www.bewrite-livewrite.typepad.com.…