Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
17JUNE2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJesussaidtothemIfGodwereyourFatheryouwouldloveMeforIproceededforthandcamefromGodnorhaveIcomeofMyselfbutHesentMe.John842WhileJesusdidwasnotdiscounttheimpor-tanceofearthlyparentsnordiscounttheprideoftheirfamilyancestryheraisedaquestionofeternalimplications.Jesusconcernforthemandforuswasandisnotwhoyouclaimasfatherbyphysicalbirthbutwhoyouclaimasfatherbyspir-itualbirth.Nomatterwhomaygiveclaimtoyourphysicalbirthwhoyourfatherisnowinthespiri-tualrealmwilldeterminewhoyouarewhatyoubecomeandultimatelywhereyouspendeternity.EachOfUsHasAPhysicalFather.Noneofushadachoiceofwhoourphysicalfatherwouldbe.Thatwasachoicemadeforusbyourmothers.Someinyouropinionmayhavemadegoodchoices.Someinyouropiniondidnot.Butbeasitmayweallatbirthhadsomeonewhomwecanattributetoourbirth.Someonesuppliedthespermwhichfertilizedtheeggwhichcausedthepregnancyandultimatelygavewaytoourbirth.Althoughweallhavefatherssomeofyoumayconsideryourselvesfatherlesshavingneverphysi-callyknownyourfatherhavinglostyourfathertodeathasaresultofabrokenmarriageorduetoabreakinrelationshipasaresultofsomedis-agreement.Inspiteofhowyoumayfeelabouthiminspiteofwhatthecircumstancesmaybeweallhaveafather.Maybehewasnotphysicallypresentmaybenotavailabletoprovideortocounselbutweallhaveafather.Inthephysicalrealmwehadnochoicewhatwehavebeengivenwehavebeengiven.Ifyoudontlikeitthereisnotmuchyoucandoaboutit.ButbeyondthephysicalyouhaveachoicetomakebecauseGodsplanforyourlifeextendsbeyondthematterofthephysical.EachofusmuststandbeforeGodasindividualsandwhoyourearthlyphysicalfatherwaswillmakenodifference.Onlywhoyourspiritualfatheriswillmatter.WhosyourfathernowYouCannotClaimSalvationThroughYourParents.Mostofustakegreatprideinourfamilyname.Itisthelabelthatrelatesustootherhumanbeingstoourearthlyfamily.Inconjunctionwithournameweeachhaveagenealogyorwhatweoftencallafamilytree.Avarietyofthingsmayhangfromourfamilytree.Someofusmayhavelotsofnutsinourtree.Someofushavealleycatscaughtupinourtree.Someofushavememberswhoareeversofruitfulotherhavejustexistedanddrieduponthevine.Someofuscanboastofafamilylineoflawyersofcivilrightsactivistofprosperousfarmersofbrilliantscholars.Inthehumanrealmthatisgooditisevenimpressivebutintheeternalrealitywhoyourrelationswereandarehaslittletodowithyou.Peoplemaybeimpressed.ItmaygiveyouasenseofbeingandbelongingbutwhenyoumeetGodfacetofaceitwontmatterwhoyourhumanrelationshipswereonlywhoyouhavechosentoberelatedtospiritu-ally.Whoandwhatyourfatherisdownherewasorwasntwontmakeabitofdifferenceupthere.Eachofuswillhavetogiveaccountforourselves.Thefaithofyourmotherthefaithofyourfatherwontsaveyou.EachofusmustcometoChristonourown.Eachofusmustper-sonallyconfessChristasLordandSavior.WhatIsItThatTheTruthWillSetYouFreeFromInoursocietytherearemanywhoareoftenunknowinglyincarcer-atedwithintheirownexistence.Somepeoplehavebeenbroughtupinenvironmentswheretheyhavenoideaofwhatitmeanstosharethatgivingisbetterthanreceivingthatselflessnessisbetterthanselfishness.Somefolkshavegrownupinenviron-mentswhoselifeandlifestylehasbecomesoingrainedwithinthatthereceptionofthetruthisoftennotreceived.Theyhavebecomesohardenedsocalloustruthseeminglyisnotheardoritinvokesnoresponse.Weallhavefamilyfriendsandacquaintanceswithwhomwehavesharedourconcernfortheirlifestyle.Itisobvioustousthattheyareoperatingundersomekindofbondagemaybeitsalcoholdrugsgreedconsumedbytheirworkdepressionetc.Werecog-nizethatinspiteofthefreedomtheymayfeeltheyneedtobesetfreefromthatwayoflife.Youngpeopleasyougrowuptherewillnotbesomeoneconstantlystandingoveryoutellingyouwhattodoorwhatnottodo.Therearetimeswhenyouwillbeonyourowntomakedecisions.WhatwillbethebasisforwhatyoudoordontdoWillitbefearofgoingtojailofbeingincarceratedforsomelongperiodoftimeofnotbeingabletogowhereyouwanttoofgoingwhentheysaygocom-ingwhentheysaycomejumpingwhentheysayjumpspeakingwhentheysayspeakbeingsilentwhentheysaybesilent.Surelythisisnotthewayanyonewouldwanttolive.Adoghasmorefreedomtodowhathewantsthanthat.Orwillyoubegovernedbyahigherlaw.OnethatisrootedgroundedandfoundedinyourloveforandrelationshipwiththerisenChrist.Paulrecordsin2Corinthians514thatitistheloveofGodthatconstrainsus.ItistheloveofGodthatinternallycontrolsus.Wearecalledtoliverightforanumberofreasonsfearofpunishmentwantingtomakeourparentsproudbecauseofourupbringing.Yesallthosethingsgointobeingamoralupstandingcitizen.Butabovethemallouractionsaregov-ernedbyourloveforGod.YourloveforGodwillcauseyoutodorightwhennooneelsearoundyouis.YourloveforGodwillmakeyougetridofsomeevilthoughtsevenwhennooneelseknowswhatyouarethinking.YourloveofGodwillcauseyoutodesiretodogoodthingsevenwhenthereisnoonearoundtoapplaudandgiveyoupraise.WHOSYOURFATHERNOWThegreatestofGodsblessingsthegiftofeternallifeismadeavailabletousifweconfessoursinsbelieveonChristandreceivehimasourpersonalLordandSavior.Agreatblessingawaitsusforhavingovercometheworldandenduredtotheend.Agreatinheri-tanceawaitsus.Andtoreceiveitwemustonlybelieveandletthatbeliefbereflectedinoureverydayrelationshipswithfamilyfriendsandacquaintances.Thedevildoesntwantyoutohavewhathecanthave.Hewouldratheryoukeepyoureyesfixedonthetemporalonthethingsofthisworldandwhoyouarerelatedtoornotrelatedto.HewouldratheryoubelievethatsomehowGoddoesnotloveyoubecauseyourfamilysituationisnotallthatitcouldorshouldbe.Hewouldratheryoumissoutonyourinher-itanceandjoinhiminhellexperi-encinganeternaldamnation.ForthatreasonhesetsouttoconvinceyouthatthepromisesofGodareliesthatthisthingofeternallifeisjustahoax.Hesetsouttoconvinceyouthatyoushouldlivenowandpulloutallthestopsforwhenyoudiethatsitfinishedtheendnomore.Hewouldhaveyoubelievethatwhatyouareandultimatelywillbedependssolelyuponyourself.Hewouldhaveyoubelievethatthewaythingsareisthewaytheyhavealwaysbeenandalwayswillbethatyouhavenopowertochangethatyouareweakandpowerless.BenotdeceivedGodisincontrolofthelivesofhischildren.JesusChristonourbehalfdefeatedthedevilatthecross.InChristitmakesnodiffer-encewhatfamilyyoumayhavebeenborninto.Itmakesnodifferencewhatkindsofnutsandalleycatsareinyourfamilytree.Itmakesnodifferencewhetheryoucomefromarichorapoorback-ground.Itmakesnodifferenceifyourrelativesareknownforlivinglessthanreputablelives.TheonlythingthatmattersisthatyouknowJesus.BecauseifyouknowJesuswhoeveryourearthlyfatherisorwasyouhaveanewfathernow.Thedevildoesntwantyoutoknowthat.HewouldratheryouliveindiscouragementdepressionandfearratherthantobevictoriousinChrist.WhosyourfathernowThisisaquestionofeternaldestinyofeternalimplications.Whoyourspiritualfatheriswilldetermineyoureternaldes-tiny.Somesendalifetimesearchingfortheirphysi-calfathertryingtofindwhothesourceoftheirbirthwas.Someputtoomuchemphasisontryingtoknowwhodaddyisandnotenoughonwhoourrealfatheris.Eachofushadaphysicalfatheratbirth.Howeverthequestionthateachofushastoresolveisnotwhoisourearthlyfatherbutwhoisourspiritualfather.Thisisnottonegatetheneedandnecessityofearthlyfatherhoodbutthedecisionthechoiceyoumakeastowhoyourspiritualfatherishaseternalconsequences.Inthislifewehaveonlytwochoices.Bothchoiceshaveeternalramifications.Onechoiceleadsuntoeternallifetheotheruntoeternaldamnation.Nomatterwhatthememoriesfondorotherwisemotherorfatherwhatreallymat-teriswhosyourfathernow...ByRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.SERMONWhoisYourFatherNowWilliamT.GolsonJr.MDivisPresidentoftheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAlliance.Rev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.BenotdeceivedGodisincontrolofthelivesofhischildren.JesusChristonourbehalfdefeatedthedevilatthecross.InChristitmakesnodifferencewhatfamilyyoumayhavebeenborninto.Itmakesnodifferencewhatkindsofnutsandalleycatsareinyourfamilytree...TheonlythingthatmattersisthatyouknowJesus.