Month: July 2017

Week-end Visitation Rights

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As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him  Psalm 103:13

My relationship with dad began with his week-end visitation rights granted when I was 15. Though I just barely knew what my dad looked like I eagerly looked forward to his one week-end [er month visits. Our relationship began about where our relationship with God often begins (It was all about me!) Dad would take me special places, buy me some things and then drop me back off at home on Sunday nights. In retrospect I am not sure what kept my dad going. But somehow my father loved me in spite of my inability to return that love for years and years until one day I realized, I really loved him. He had built the bridge single-handedly that joined us together.

In that very same way God has loving compassion on us. Even when our showing up in church is just about our blessings, our needs and our desires He remains willing to build the bridge through Jesus Christ to join our soul to Him. What a gentle awesome and patient Father we have. We have the choice on any day to walk across the bridge to Him and yield not just visitation rights, but the full rights of a father with a son or daughter to Him!

week-end visits

Full Custody

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When most people say, “I really didn’t know my father,” what they really mean is “I had a terrible relationship,” or “My dad hardly talked to me” In my case it meant that he was like someone I had met once in a dream. Until I was 15 years old he was only able to visit twice and I only vaguely remembered the second visit when he brought me a football.

But the lack of relationship I had with my father was not his desire, it had come about because of a broken relationship. In the same way the greatest barrier we all have in our relationship with God is to realize that it is not His desire. God does not wish our separation nor is he satisfied with the week-end visitation rights that my own father finally received. God wants full custody and offers an amazing inheritance in our covenant relationship with Him. More to come in the next post. Stay tuned!

 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name John 1:12

week-end visits

Nursing Home Ministry

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Nursing home ministry is not just something nice or a little extra side line for the church to investigate. Nursing home ministry is in fact an expression of the very heart of the Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about how we treat him in places like prisons, sick beds, orphanages and other places of abandonment and suffering. When we as His church consistently remember the importance of a true commitment to include such places in our outreach we may not get much notice in this world; but we will make the headlines in heaven! If we choose to allocate our church budget and sacrificially give of our time in order to value those whom Jesus values we will never regret it in eternity. Here in this small book is the compilation of more than 25 years of experience given as a guide, an encouragement and a call to action for those who are willing to hear.

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me  Matthew 25:38-40

Nursing home min

 

 

 

Nursing Home Ministry – The Heart of Jesus Christ

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