The Citizen, 2008-04-24, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008. PAGE 15.By Pastor John KuperusBlyth Christian ReformedChurchWe have all been blessed with afather. Our fathers have a
tremendous impact on our lives.
They pass on to us our family name.
They help to provide for our needs.
Our genetic make-up partly comes to
us from our fathers.
As we grow we spend time with
our fathers and come to understand
what they are passionate about and
we learn from them. Our fathers
want us to pick up the family values
and pass them on to the next
generation.
The Bible says that we have a
spiritual father too. We can either be
a child of God or a child of the devil.
To be part of God’s family, Jesus
says we have to be “born again”
(John 3:3).
When we are born, we go through
a profound change in a dark place
and are nourished by a cord with
fluid substance surrounding us.
When we are born into God’s family,
a transformation takes place too. By
nature we are self focused and when
God is our Father, he becomes the
centre. We want to obey him and
take care of the family business.
Why would someone want God as
their Father? Barry Adams, a pastor
in St. Catharines, shares why we
would want God as our Father in a
book he wrote called, “Father’s Love
Letter.” Barry understood God as his
Father in an intellectual way. Then
he went on a men’s retreat in North
Bay where the goal was to get to
know God in a more intimate way as
his heavenly Father. The speaker
asked if anyone wanted prayer to
receive a deeper revelation of the
Father’s love.
As the speaker prayed for Barry,
he felt all the pain and
disappointment of a little boy just
wanting to be loved. Instead of
being empty, he felt the incredible
warmth of God the Father wrapping
his arms around him. He says that he
felt wave of God’s love to touch the
deepest places of his heart that had
been so wounded and discouraged as
a child.
He then saw God’s love
everywhere and it was like the lights
had been turned on. God put it on his
heart that if he put scriptures
together, it would form a Father’s
love letter.
This is the letter he came up with.
“My Child,You may not know me,
but I know everything about you. I
know when you sit down and when
you rise up. I am familiar with all
your ways. Even the very hairs on
your head are numbered. For you
were made in my image. In me you
live and move and have your being.
For you are my offspring. I knew
you before you were even conceived.
I chose you when I planned creation.
You were not a mistake. For all your
days are written in my book. Idetermined the exact time of yourbirth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfullymade. I knit you together in your
mother’s womb. And brought you
forth on the day you were born. I
have been misrepresented by those
who don’t know me.
I am not distant and angry but am
the complete expression of love. And
it is my desire to lavish my love on
you. Simply because you are my
child and I am your Father.
I offer you more than your earthly
father ever could. For I am the
perfect Father. Every good gift that
you receive comes from my hand.
For I am your provider and I meet all
your needs. My plan for your future
has always been filled with hope.
Because I love you with an
everlasting love.
My thoughts toward you are
countless as the sand on the
seashore. And I rejoice over you
with singing. I will never stop doing
good to you. For you are a treasured
possession. I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
And I want to show great and
marvelous things.
If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me. Delight in me andI will give you the desires of yourheart. For it is I who gave you thosedesires. I am able to do more for youthan you can possibly imagine. For I
am your greatest encourager. I am
also the Father who comforts you in
all your troubles.
When you are brokenhearted, I am
close to you. As a shepherd carries a
lamb, I have carried you close to my
heart.
One day I will wipe away every
tear from your eyes. And I’ll take
away all the pain you have suffered
on this earth. I am your Father, and
I love you even as I love my son,
Jesus.
For in Jesus, my love for you is
revealed. He is the exact
representation of my being. He came
to demonstrate that I am for you, not
against you. And to tell you that I am
not counting your sins.
Jesus died so that you and I could
be reconciled. His death was the
ultimate expression of my love for
you. I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love. If you
receive the gift of my son, Jesus, you
receive me. And nothing will ever
separate you from my love again.
Come home and I’ll throw the
biggest party heaven has ever seen. Ihave always been Father and willalways be Father. My questionis….will you be my child? I amwaiting for you. Love, your Dad,
Almighty God” (p. 9-11).
He put this letter together with a
PowerPoint presentation and many
people were blessed by a powerful
intimate encounter with their
heavenly Father. He began a new
ministry with a website
www.FathersLoveLetter.com and
this became a full time ministry for
him.
Friends, my earthly father was a
good man, yet he does not compare
to this Father. When I was born it
was the practice that fathers could
not be there. Yet, my heavenly father
was there.
From what I understand my
parents were happy to have another
baby in their home. Some children
are born into this world and their
parents do not want them. In the
mind and heart of my heavenly
Father, no one is a mistake and they
are deeply loved.
My father was not perfect andmade mistakes causing wounds,hurts and disappointments. Yet, myheavenly Father makes no mistakes.He loves me regardless of how I treat
him. I do cause him pain and
disappointment, but his love for me
is constant.
When we have this picture
painted, I believe everyone would
want this Father. Everyone would
want to be part of this family. When
we enter into this family, there is a
family code and rules. We are called
to respect and honor our father.
You and I both know that families
can be really messy places. We
bring our mess into God’s family
too. Our Father in heaven calls us to
“be perfect” and we are so far from
that. The wonder is that a perfect
heavenly Father and imperfect
children can come together.
As the letter points out, we can be
reconciled by Jesus. We need to go
to the cross and be washed in his
blood to be cleansed. This takes
humility to say I need help and that I
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
Sunday, April 27 is Friend Day!
This special day is set aside for the church to recognize its members’
many friends. The public is cordially invited to celebrate this event.
Worship services at 9 and 11 am.
Message ~ Being Right With God
9:00 & 11:00 am
7:30 pm
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 27th
Brussels Public School
10:30 am and 6:30 pm
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590
B l y t h C o m m u n i ty Church of God
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
- Christian Education
for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Mid-week Bible Studies
See you
Sunday!
119 John St., Auburn
Pastor Dave Wood
519-526-1131
This Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School &
Small Groups
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, April 27
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Sunday, April 27
All Welcome
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11 a.m.
Guest speaker - Sandy Morris
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
1st & 3rd Wednesdays - Women at the Well
Youth: Mondays - Senior 6:30 pm
- Fridays - Junior 7:30 pm
Sun., April 27: Acts 5:27ff
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
“Fighting God,
or Fearless
of Man?”
POTLUCK
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
This Saturday, 8 pm at Hall:
FAITH-IN-SONG
From the Minister’s StudyMinister shares love letter to the Father
Continued on page 20