Father's Day
by Joni Ames
by Joni Ames
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love to think of what must be going on in Heaven on Father's Day! I know it isn't a "Bible" holiday, but I cannot forget my Loving Heavenly Father, nor fail to honor Him on this day!
In fact, I believe it is also important to call or send notes to all of those "Fathers in the Faith" who are so very near and dear to my heart, who have meant so much to me over the years.
When I read in the scriptures about God turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the Fathers, I get excited! There are so many children without fathers, and I believe we are living in the time NOW when the Holy Spirit is pouring out a Spirit of Adoption into the hearts of "Spiritual Fathers" across the earth, as well as causing the children to reach out for them. - Whether they have had natural children or not, there are many Fathers and Grandpas "to be" out there that have that heart of adoption and are needed to help raise up and encourage this next generation.
The Lord began to show me many years ago that He was going to again bring forth the mature fathers of the faith, to go where they have gone before and take the younger ones with them. And truly, it is time to "Wake up the Mighty Men" (Joel 3:9) once again, to prepare the younger ones for today's battles! God is not through with you, Fathers, Grandfathers, and Uncles! He yet has need of the kind of wisdom and faith you have that only comes through many years of cultivation! - Even if you are not able to travel outside of your own home, God has need of you to allow the younger ones to sit at your feet and glean what He has given to you. Why should they have to make some of the same mistakes you made? You can allow your ceiling to be their floor, and they can start out where you left off and soar higher, with your help!
In 1998, Astronaut John Glenn went back up in space one more time. He was 77 years old! When that happened, the Lord began to speak to me the word "Re-fire-ment" and to show me that He is calling many men and women who have previously been in ministry back out of retirement to "soar" once again. It isn't time to be "retired" but to be "re-fired" - re-kindled in the fire of God - to reach yet another generation. I believe that John Glen's exploits were a prophetic sign in the natural of just that. - And that this is now an even greater season of bringing forth MANY fathers! Our "fatherless" children need them!
Joel 2 and Acts 2 talks about the Holy Spirit being poured out upon all flesh in the last days, and says that the "old men will dream dreams." - I believe THIS is the time for the Older Men to do just that! Not to dream SLEEP dreams, but to dream BIG VISION DREAMS again, for such a time as this! - To come forth in the abundance of that golden deposit that the Lord has within you to reach yet another generation! YOU ARE NEEDED! - DREAM BIG!!!!
In 2000, I saw a movie called "Space Cowboys." It was a movie about four retired astronauts that got recruited for a special mission after a satellite malfunctioned and started careening back toward Earth. There wasn't enough time to train the younger ones in all they needed to know, so they had to go up in space once again, taking the younger ones with them. When I saw that movie, the Lord rekindled that former word within me, and I began to watch for the "Space Cowboys."
A couple years later, I was blessed to attend a "Word, Spirit, Power" conference (http://www.wordspiritpower.org/conference) in Florida that Jack Taylor, R.T. Kendall, and Charles Carrin did, and I realized I'd met some real-life spiritual Space Cowboys, for sure! Over lunch, I shared the word the Lord had given to me, and encouraged them to continue to "Go where they'd gone before" & to "Take the young whipper snappers along to show them how it is done!" - As well as to take hold of the hands of other "Space Cowboys" and help them get launched again as they would find them. - There are others like Bob Jones, Bob Mumford, Oral Roberts, Billy Graham and others out there as well. - They are truly the "Golden Guys" of God, with the Golden Deposit of God's Word, Spirit, Power, wisdom, maturity, and life's lessons shining forth from them to yet another generation!
For many years, I did not understand the meaning of God as Father. I feared His wrath and disappointment. In learning the truth of the fact that God is LOVE, and what that means about Him being a loving Heavenly Father, I was finally able to also love myself and others properly. Although I only have two natural children, that has given me the ability - and the joy - to 'adopt' many sons and daughters into my heart and life from across the globe. - That is what the love and nurturing of Father God, as well as that of loving Spiritual Fathers, can do.
This Father's Day, whether in a place of worship, or a spot of solitude in our own home, let's stop for a moment to say "Happy Father's Day" to Father God and thank Him for all He has done for us.
And another thing, after you call your natural dad, uncle, or grandpa, take a moment to call or send a quick note of love and thanks to those men in your life who have been a Spiritual Father to you. You have no idea what it may mean to them!
Happy Father's Day to Abba/Father, and to all of you wonderful Spiritual Dads out there! Thank you for all you do to show the love of Abba/Father to so many! God bless you!
Many Blessings,
Joni Ames
Visitor Comments (0)
