Looking for Father in all the wrong places!

By: Steve Hill

The other day I was looking at a ministrywebsite that had caught my attention. Large ministry, good website and it contained a section devoted to their "newest ministry venture" which was such and such "Apostolic Network".

The purpose of the Network was to provide "Friendship, mentoring, accountability, networking opportunies, spiritual covering, ministry fatherhood etc, etc ". All the normal stuff that you might say when promoting such a thing. Then came an application form that you could fill in with personal and ministry information and the final line which informed you to include a check for $200 or your application would not be considered. I thought, "Great! For only $200 I can get friendship and fatherhood! That is a really, really good deal!"

What kind of ministry leader signs up for such a "deal"? That would be someone who is insecure and who does not know who they are in God! That would be someone who is looking for identity and belonging. That would be someone who is looking for things in another man that he can find only in God!

What kind of leader puts out such an advertisement? That would be someone who is seeking to build a ministry by collecting "sons".That is not "apostolic". That is not pioneering, laying foundations and releasing new expressions of God in the earth. And once you collect such a group you are not a ministry father but rather a religious administrator. Why would anyone do that? In normal life if you want a family, most people simply have children they do not solicit them from the other families in the neighbourhood!

But you are not a leader, what about you? Father Heart conferences are very big in some circles and we need them! People need to connect with God as theirFather.

One of the foundations of Father Heart ministry is that God loves you "unconditionally". However, God does not forgive me"unconditionally". He only forgives me as I forgive those who have sinned against me. Have you read Matthew 6:14-15 and Matthew 18:21-35 lately? It is pretty strong stuff! You may not feel forgiven simply because you are not forgiven! You have not met the conditions!

What about His "unconditional" love? What about John 15:2 & 6? If we abide in Him and bear fruit, He prunes us for more fruit but if we do not bear fruit, He casts us away and we are gathered up and burned. That is not avery comforting image! Maybe the reasons some feel rejected by God is that they are indeed rejected by God? No amount of prayer byan earthly father figure can over come that divine rejection!

Maybe we would have fewer false Apostolic networks and maybe we would have less Father Heart conferences if people simply sought Jesusand obeyed Him unto fruitfulness.There is no revelation about sonship like simply being a son!There is no revelation about fatherhood like being a father! The Fatherhood you seek is only found in God. Nobody can give that to you or create it for you. You must find it in God for yourself. One of my favourite passages is Matthew 11:25-30, especially in The Message version.

May God, the Father, reveal Himself to you through Jesus, the Son and may the Holy Spirit of Adoption cause you to cry out, "My Daddy, My Daddy!"

 Steve & Marilyn Hill