Can You Call God, "Father"?

While others claim that everyone is the child of God, God’s Word declares in Romans 8:14-16:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” {NKJV).

Who are the “sons of God”?

The Bible says, “…as many as are led by the Spirit of God.” You cannot find a sentence or phrase in the Bible which says, everyone in the world is led by or has received the Spirit of God.

And we, who have received the Spirit, we are able to cry out “Abba, Father.”
We are able to call God as “Father” not because we have just an ideal physical father in this world.

Wether we grow up without knowing any father, or we have an undesirable earthly father, we can still call God, “Father” — not just from our throat, not just from our lips, but even from the heart, because of His Spirit who enables us!

As we also read in Galatians 4:4-6:

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”

You may be able to call God, “Abba, Father” from the heart, not because you just decide, or you exercise your human will to do so. But God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your heart. And as God’s Word tells us in Romans 5:5:

“…the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

God’s Spirit does not force us to say, “Father.” Through His Spirit, genuine love for Him blossoms in our hearts that we are able to affectionately call upon Him, “Abba,” or “Papa,” or “Daddy,” etc

Ninoy Aquino "Had Seen" God!!

Ninoy Aquino, the Filipino Senator who is now regarded as a Philippine hero, had known God during his solitary confinement in the Martial Law days in the Philippines.

My God, My God, WHY Have You Allowed Your Word To Be "Twisted"?

“Ignorant... unstable” twisted your Holy Word (2 Pet. 3:16)!
Lord, why have You allowed it to be twisted?
Isn’t it tho many plans are in our heart,
It’s Your Sovereign purpose that prevails (Prov. 19:21)?

Tho we make plans, it’s You Who determine our steps (Prov. 16:9).
Even hearts’ desires and longings of a king,
You direct wherever You please (Prov. 21:1).
Yet, why allowed Your Word to be twisted?

You do what You please with the powers of heaven
And the peoples of the earth (Dan. 4:35).
And those who walk in pride You are able to humble (Dan. 4:37).
Yet, why allowed Your Word to be twisted?

Tho Your Word declares, You chose us who believe (1 Thess. 1:4-5),
But why allowed others teach everyone are chosen?
You say believers are saved and justified (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:38).
Why let others preach everyone is justified and will be saved?

You declare nothing is impossible with You (Luke 1:37).
But why let others imply it’s not possible for You
To create a new heart, a willingness that one may accept Your Gift?
Why allowed Your Word to be twisted?

Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, according to Your Word (Rev. 4:8 ).
So, Just are You in bringing wrath (Rom. 3:5)
On those “who are self-seeking... who reject the truth…” (Rom. 2:8.)
Why let others, as if, to say, You are Love, Love, and Love?

My God, my God, why have You .… ...? But …!
Didn’t You allow even the Personal Word,
Your Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified?!
Truly,You work out “everything in conformity” with Your Will (Eph. 1:11).

And the Word that goes out from Your mouth,
Will not return to You empty,
Will accomplish what You desire
And achieve the purpose for which You sent it (Isa. 55:11).

Like Your Son, Your Literal Word triumphs
Over misinterpretations and mistakes!
Forever it endures in spite of those who want to destroy it!
So grateful, Oh Lord, for the joy and peace Your Word gives!

MERCY Or "Foreknowledge"?

Recently, I realized that someone "embraced" Arminianism, because she is "uncomfortable" with or could not just accept God's Word which says, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden" (Rom. 9:18, NIV).

She opted to believe how Arminians define "foreknowlege" -- God gives His Spirit to those He has chosen to be saved, because He knows beforehand that they would accept His offer.

I just don't know if she is also aware that the Reformed view of predestination did NOT just start from Calvin, but you could also read it in the book, City of God by Augustine -- not only in the letters of Paul.

Anyway, last time, we had a brief encounter. I told her, "I have something for you. It's Titus 3:5-6..."

And I continued to recite it, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His..." -- "foreknowledge?" I asked her.

She was nodding in approval. But I shook my head and slowly quoted God's Word, "... according to His mercy..."

Our conversation was stopped, however, because someone had called her attention and talked with her for other matters. She just told me that she would look up the verse later.

If I could have continued, not only I would finish quoting Titus 3:5-6, but I would also tell her about a good illustration of mercy in the New Testament: the Samaritan who had mercy on the victim of the robbers (Luke 10:30-37).

The victim was "half-dead" -- unconscious -- and the Samaritan did not bother to ask, if he wanted to be helped. He just extended his mercy to him. And the victim had no ability to refuse the help of a Samaritan and prefer the assistance from a Jew. He did not have even the consciousness to ask for help.

We are victims of Satan -- spiritually dead -- totally helpless. Without the Spirit of God to enable us to draw near to Christ, we would not have any desire to follow Him. Even if we have the so-called freedom of the will, we could not exercise it for we are spiritually unconscious!

We read in Romans 8:6-8, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."

Thus, if not for God's mercy, we would not or we are unable to receive His Spirit and be saved. It's by God's grace.

Could we not submit and bow down to the glorious weight of God's Word: "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy" (Rom. 9:16)?

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WHY Others Are Not Attracted To God?

It is a popular belief or teaching that others are not attracted to God, refuse to follow Him, or find more pleasure in sin than God, because of our so-called free will.

And because of our human choice, others also believe that we are able to resist or disregard His Call.

BUT, what did the Word of God say?

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him..." (John 4:10, NKJV.)

If we really knew Who Jesus is, our reaction or choice would not be to reject or refuse Him or what He is offering!

Others reject God or refuse His Word because of their ignorance, or false or incomplete understanding of God. It is not just because of their choice.

But if we really knew Him, our immediate reaction is to admire, adore and worship Him -- not because we are forced, but because we are attracted to Him.

God SEPARATES...

Let’s review Genesis 1:4, “And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness” (NKJV).

Notice the last part: “… God divided the light from the darkness.”

Other translations render it, “God SEPARATED the light from the darkness” as we read also in the New International Version.

God divides or separates. He does not mix the light with darkness.

In the future, there will be also separation among the nations. Jesus Christ said:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…’ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…’” (Matt 25:31-34, 41, NKJV.)

There are those who teach that everyone will be saved. But according to God’s Word, He would say to those on His right hand, “Come…” but to those on the left hand, “Depart…”

God attracts. For while the devil tried to “mix it up,” God separates.

We read in Matthew 13:24-25, “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.’”

The devil is the "enemy" who sowed the tares among the wheat. Now, let’s continue to read:

“But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' "But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn" ' " (verses 26-30).

God may allow this time the “tares” and the “wheat” – the righteous and the unrighteous” – the believers and the unbelievers – to “grow together.” But the day is coming when they will be separated. As we read in Malachi 3:18:

“So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him” (NAS) – for, then, God will again separate the “light” from the “darkness.”

God Creates A NEW Heart

A friend pointed out to me how to have a "healthy heart." According to him, "heal-thy-heart" could be achieved -- "if we heal our hearts from past wounds, insults, pains and forget about getting even & don't hold grudges..."

God, however, wants that we have not only a healthy heart, but a NEW heart.

We read in Ezekiel 18:311: "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" (NKJV).

And He Himself made this promise:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26).

(Unfortunately, there are those who believe and teach that that promise was only for the physical Israelites.)

According to God's Word, what we need is a new heart -- I told my friend -- a heart that God can open, so we can receive all His Words (not only those that we can conveniently obey), a heart that can receive God's revelation of Himself, not only those human perception about God, a heart that can really love God for it experiences the very love of God, in spite of whatever trial or difficulty that could happen, a kind of heart that look to God as its Supreme Joy, not just the fulfillment of one's human desire, a kind of heart that lasts for eternity, cherishing God's Word (not just the philosophy or convincing arguments of men) -- a kind of heart that David prayed for:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Ps 51:10).

Not just for a healthy heart, but, just like David, let's long for and pray for a new and clean heart.