MORE ABOUT FATHERING

I celebrated my 78th birthday yesterday, and cannot help but praise God for His blessing and goodness. I have declared numerous times, I HAVE AND AM LIVING THE DREAM. I am reminded today of Moses’ words in Psalm 90:12 NKJV So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. When we are young we do not think of aging, but at 78 you begin to realise that the future is so much shorter than the past, I think I can say I have learnt some wisdom in my 68 years as a Christian. I can also declare with King David in Psalm 37:25 NKJV I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He has ever been Jehovah Jireh and met my every need.

I cannot help but think of God’s word to Joshua in Joshua 13:1 NKJV Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. I wonder if Joshua groaned when God said those words, and was thinking “I want to retire and take it easy, not take more land”.

We read in the very next chapter the words of Caleb who would have been of a similar age as Joshua, and Caleb at 85 had these words to say. Joshua 14:7-13 NKJV I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
   And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.

I sure cannot declare with Caleb that I am as physically strong at 78 as when I was 40, but my spirit has never been so strong, so I posted in FB yesterday, “God give me this mountain”. When Pilate asked Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews” Jesus replied “FOR THIS CAUSE I WAS BORN”. Every believer has been called “ACCORDING TO HIS (GOD’S) PURPOSE Rom.. 8:28. I can look back and say that quite soon after I was born again I KNEW GOD HAD A PLAN FOR MY LIFE, not to be a great Preacher or Teacher, but to be a “spiritual father” it took many years for me to fully comprehend this and to practically and effectively fulfil it. Not only can I humbly declare I have 100’s of spiritual sons, but am believing (this is my mountain) I will have many hundreds more before I see the Lord in glory. There was a time when my ministry was predominantly public, (preaching and teaching etc.) but now it is predominantly private, but I am potentially touching more people today than I ever did in the past.

Would you pray with me that I take my mountain and many more young men come to spiritual maturity and fulful God’s purpose for their lives.