Doubly Blessed

The last number of months have provided me several opportunities to draw closer to my God and Father through Christ. Many tests have come to me and allowed me to cling to God in prayer. I have never felt my need of Christ as I have recently.

I can see that the work that God has begun in me, He is indeed completing it. Though painful at times, I am coming to see how weak and sinful I am; I am seeing much more why Jesus spent so much time in prayer. I have known all these things in my head for years, yet the heart experience of these things has been slower than I realised; the depth of sin and the wrenching process and fiery trials that are required for sanctification have taken me to a very different place in my christian experience.

As part of the Elijah Message is the promise of turning the hearts of children to their fathers and in the last little while I have felt drawn to my Dad. As I see Christ as an agent of the Father to bless us, I see more and more that all those God has placed in authority over us are a means of blessing us and we will be mightily blessed in respecting and submitting to all such authority.

I have prayed that I would truly learn to respect my father and honour him according to the commandment. My father has told me in the past that he has been disappointed by the lack of love in the church and that in many cases his concerns and thoughts were not valued by local church leaders where he has attended church. As a result I have grown to see my father was one that was not so interested in the church or the work of the third angel.

I realise that I have unwittingly felt that my Christian experience was superior to his and that therefore his thoughts on spiritual matters are not that important to me. Once again, our Father has shown me how deceived I have been.

Recently, my mother told me that Dad has been writing out spiritual thoughts and notes in his Sabbath School pamphlet. I asked if I could have a copy of these notes, that I might be blessed by them.

In the last few days, I have been so blessed by my Dad's deep spiritual interests and Bible texts. Though I know the texts, the fact that my father is writing them and commenting on them adds a wonderful blessing to me.

Beyond this, in the last few days, things my father wrote have come to me just at the time I have needed them. This morning I read this in his notes.

Isaiah 41:10: ¶Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

This was a wonderful comfort to me in light of the trials I am currently facing. My Father in heaven sent that promise to me through my father and I am doubly blessed. It is like my father is reading the text to me and drawing me closer to God.

I see my father more and more as a spiritual man with a passion for God. I am more eager to listen to what he has to say about spiritual matters. I pray that God will send me counsel through my father for while I am indeed blessed by connecting directly with my heavenly Father though Christ; I am doubly blessed by connecting with Him through my earthly father.

Indeed Elijah is comforting His people as our hearts are drawn towards each other in the bonds of family love and affection. Is it not true that the ability to come together in the unity of the faith must include the ability for families to come together; to have fathers and sons hearts turned toward each other. Is it not time to realise that this staunch spirit of independence fostered by a spirit that falsely calls itself protestantism is standing in the way of Elijah. Yes I have my Bible, but how much sweeter to have my Bible and my earthly father and all in legitimate authority over me in the bonds of love and affection. Truly I taste in this the fires of pentecost.