MALACHI 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
The purpose of Creation is the father heart of God. His desire is to give and receive love in relationship with mankind created in His Image. (Americans, Kenyans, Ghanaians and Armenians) Jesus prayed for the Family of God to come to “earth as it is in Heaven” when He prayed the “Son’s Prayer” (often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer) of MATTHEW 6:9. As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus knew the will of the Father for earth was the same for Heaven where the Family of God resides. Apostle Paul was also mindful of this revelation as he prayed for the “whole family in heaven and on earth” to come to the mature understanding of God’s love (he called it the Fullness of God) in EPHESIANS 3:14-15. “For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…”
I believe the fully functioning Family of God will bring the greatest expression of the Kingdom of God to earth, as Jesus said in the conclusion of His prayer, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” This is the goal of apostolic fathers today.
In the late 80’s, the message of “spiritual fathers” began to take root in the Church as prophetic voices taught about the transformation of religious leaders into spiritual fathers. This was the effect of the Elijah Anointing being released in power and revelation. Spiritual fathers were being prepared to receive the spiritual sons whose hearts would soon be turning (by the same Elijah Anointing) to find the heart of love in a spiritual father who would serve their destiny and seek for their fulfillment in ministry.
OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL GROW INTO THE SAME CHRIST-LIKENESS AS SPIRITUAL FATHERS CONTINUE TO GIVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF THE FATHER...
As the son’s hearts began to turn, four characteristics were being formed in them that brought conformity to the “image of Christ.” These are traits are found in Christ Himself as a Son of the Father.
Galatians 4:19 NKJV “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…”
1.A SAINT. HEBREWS 7:26 NKJV “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens…” As a saint, the son has a holy heart free from the sinful habits Paul told Timothy to flee from, as a young apostle. 2 TIMOTHY 2:22 NKJV “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
2.A SERVANT. MARK 10:45 NKJV “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” As Christ is being formed in us, a servant heart follows a holy heart. We learn to serve by connecting to leaders in our lives who are set by God for our preparation. 2 TIMOTHY 2:24 NKJV “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…” The servant is characterized by a humble heart.
3.A SHEPHERD. MATTHEW 9:36 NKJV “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” The shepherds heart is a caring heart and follows in formation after a holy and humble heart. I have noticed that many Christians have yet to arrive at the shepherds heart. Whereas the servant heart is the characteristic of a deacon, the shepherd’s heart is the characteristic of an elder. 1 PETER 5:1-2 NKJV “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly…” As we observe the maturity of our sons and daughters in process, we will see this progression develop by the Spirit of God. When the shepherds heart is formed in a protege, we no longer need to tell them to “check on this person or that person” because their heart is turned to the sheep and they begin to care for them by nature in a sacrificial manner, not regarding the cost.
4.A SON. JOHN 14:9 NKJV “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?” The fourth characteristic of the mature believer is a loyal heart. Loyalty is Royalty in the Kingdom of God. When a son or daughter has been conformed to the Image of Christ they will be a representative person, able to re-present someone other than themselves. Paul was sure of Timothy’s loyalty when he sent him to the Philippians.
PHILIPPIANS 2:19-22 NKJV “ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”
The tendency for disloyalty has been eliminated from the heart fully turned to a father in the faith through the process of deliverance from the orphan/independent spirit which keeps a person bound to be a self-representor only. The big “I” of pride has been cut off at the root and replaced by love and trust in the relationship. God’s will has been achieved in the father/son relationship. Maturity has come, Christ has been formed, a “holy, humble, caring, and loyal heart” is now evidenced in the son, who is now ready to be a father to others.
Christ had a “Holy, Humble, Caring and Loyal” heart. He was a Saint, Servant, Shepherd, and Son in relationship with His Father. Our sons and daughters will grow into this same Christ-likeness as spiritual fathers continue to give the unconditional love of The Father to their spiritual families.
I believe the fully functioning Family of God will bring the greatest expression of the Kingdom of God to earth, as Jesus said in the conclusion of His prayer, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” This is the goal of apostolic fathers today.
In the late 80’s, the message of “spiritual fathers” began to take root in the Church as prophetic voices taught about the transformation of religious leaders into spiritual fathers. This was the effect of the Elijah Anointing being released in power and revelation. Spiritual fathers were being prepared to receive the spiritual sons whose hearts would soon be turning (by the same Elijah Anointing) to find the heart of love in a spiritual father who would serve their destiny and seek for their fulfillment in ministry.
OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL GROW INTO THE SAME CHRIST-LIKENESS AS SPIRITUAL FATHERS CONTINUE TO GIVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF THE FATHER...
As the son’s hearts began to turn, four characteristics were being formed in them that brought conformity to the “image of Christ.” These are traits are found in Christ Himself as a Son of the Father.
Galatians 4:19 NKJV “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…”
1.A SAINT. HEBREWS 7:26 NKJV “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens…” As a saint, the son has a holy heart free from the sinful habits Paul told Timothy to flee from, as a young apostle. 2 TIMOTHY 2:22 NKJV “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
2.A SERVANT. MARK 10:45 NKJV “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” As Christ is being formed in us, a servant heart follows a holy heart. We learn to serve by connecting to leaders in our lives who are set by God for our preparation. 2 TIMOTHY 2:24 NKJV “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…” The servant is characterized by a humble heart.
3.A SHEPHERD. MATTHEW 9:36 NKJV “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” The shepherds heart is a caring heart and follows in formation after a holy and humble heart. I have noticed that many Christians have yet to arrive at the shepherds heart. Whereas the servant heart is the characteristic of a deacon, the shepherd’s heart is the characteristic of an elder. 1 PETER 5:1-2 NKJV “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly…” As we observe the maturity of our sons and daughters in process, we will see this progression develop by the Spirit of God. When the shepherds heart is formed in a protege, we no longer need to tell them to “check on this person or that person” because their heart is turned to the sheep and they begin to care for them by nature in a sacrificial manner, not regarding the cost.
4.A SON. JOHN 14:9 NKJV “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?” The fourth characteristic of the mature believer is a loyal heart. Loyalty is Royalty in the Kingdom of God. When a son or daughter has been conformed to the Image of Christ they will be a representative person, able to re-present someone other than themselves. Paul was sure of Timothy’s loyalty when he sent him to the Philippians.
PHILIPPIANS 2:19-22 NKJV “ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”
The tendency for disloyalty has been eliminated from the heart fully turned to a father in the faith through the process of deliverance from the orphan/independent spirit which keeps a person bound to be a self-representor only. The big “I” of pride has been cut off at the root and replaced by love and trust in the relationship. God’s will has been achieved in the father/son relationship. Maturity has come, Christ has been formed, a “holy, humble, caring, and loyal heart” is now evidenced in the son, who is now ready to be a father to others.
Christ had a “Holy, Humble, Caring and Loyal” heart. He was a Saint, Servant, Shepherd, and Son in relationship with His Father. Our sons and daughters will grow into this same Christ-likeness as spiritual fathers continue to give the unconditional love of The Father to their spiritual families.
Action Step: Which one of the four characteristics of being formed into the “image of Christ” are you currently identifying with and explain why?
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