The Heritage of a Son

“And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17)

Is the heritage of a father-son based on the performance of this son, the color of his hair, the shape of his body, the style of his clothing, the grade of his exams, the beauty of his character or based on his identity as a son? Go travel the whole world, you will see that this is a fixed truth everywhere whatever the country was, or its culture or its language, a son always inherits because he is a son. The Prodigal son understood deeply his right to have the portion of the goods of his father that’s why he came boldly to ask him for it (Luke 15:12). Now we know that it wasn’t polite of the son to take his inheritance in this manner while his father lives but the father gave it to him. What I am talking to you about is also a kingdom principle and it is as real as this earthly principle is. The moment you become a child of God, you became his inheritor, now think of it for a moment: what is it like to be an inheritor of God? SELAH. God doesn’t withhold his goodness from you but for you. In every season of your growth in him, whether you are a child or a mature son you will inherit the blessings according to his timing and plans for you. A natural father prevents his car from his child to protect him; although this son will benefit of his dad’s car when he matures, but let’s say it is a postponed blessing! This child will enjoy other blessings for now. It is my firm belief that a blessing not in its right timing can be of no blessing. God deals with sinners with Mercy but deals with his children according to his covenant with them. Are you aware that you are a son of the Most High God? Are you aware of your inheritance with Christ? I pray that your eyes be illuminated with this revelation so you can tap by faith into the riches of his Glory stored up for you and enjoy the abundance that cost Christ everything to give it to you.

Glory to God
Tony Francis

The Language of Honor

“Would you pass me this cup of water please?” You can have the honor of serving someone in small things like passing a cup of water or in big things like going to the kitchen to pour it out and serve it with gladness in case there was none ready at the table! The greatness of your honor shows the greatness of your character, God Almighty showed you a big honor not by serving you a small cup of water but rather by giving all he is and all he has, rivers of living waters, through the sacrifice of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ on the cross.

When you invite a guest you honor greatly to your house, you show him honor by serving the best and the most expensive banquet you can set before him, honor costs! When God invited you to his royal banquet table he didn’t find what is more valuable to serve you than his own precious lamb to eat of his flesh and to drink of his blood. God’s honor for us, who are made of dirt, is extravagant; it is according to the greatness of his love for us. How much more should we honor him by living for him a life worthy to praise his holy name and by honoring greatly what he honors: People! Honor is the highest form of love expressed and when you are filled with God’s kind of Love you can start talking his language!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

My Testimony

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12:9-10

My father disciplined me for a little while as he thought best for me and I am thankful! Are you familiar with this verse “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”? (Matthew 7:11). What my father thought was best for me was in many ways evil and hurt me, but no blame, because he thought he was giving me his best and sincerely I appreciate his efforts in raising me up, God bless him. It isn’t always what people do to you that hurt you; mostly it’s what they don’t do for you while the bar of your expectations is so high, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” and in many ways what my dad didn’t do for me made my heart sick.

For those of you who don’t know my dad, here is a little bit of background for you: my dad is so old because of his late marriage at the age of 50, so I grew up in an environment where my friends at school and my community around me used to tell me: “your grandfather is so funny” and with a bitter smile I answer: “he is my dad”. He’s now 84 years old, in a good health and I’m believing for his salvation. He was always there to provide for me, I didn’t lack any material blessing at all, in fact I lived in abundance, in a big prosperous house, with the best games, the finest clothes, the best school and education in town … while I was living as a rich boy outwardly, I lived a severe poverty inwardly, in my emotions I was a beggar for the fatherhood love & affections. I don’t remember my dad playing with me or affirming me especially in my most time needed of my shaping as a man, more than that he didn’t model to me this strong father figure, where he rebukes me in doing wrong or even slap me! He was tender in character all the time, trying to correct me always with gentle words, until I hungered to see him slap me just to feel his strength, funny huh? He didn’t train me to carry responsibilities nor to face challenges, thus when I grew up the storms of life swallowed me; even I couldn’t stand its slightest breeze. I was so naïve inside and emptiness in me was horrible. I won’t discuss here the consequences of such things but believe me I was mentally, emotionally and spiritually sick and handicapped from head to toe. I was a living dead, well not quite, a living dead doesn’t feel, but I was feeling all the pain of the world. I was raised in a very beautiful home but because of my dad’s absence in my personal life I felt like an orphan homeless, I was lost in the rooms of my life and later I made it my aim to seek for the alternative as soon as I grow up and the world was gladly waiting for me with open arms to embrace a sinful life to journey from pit to a deeper pit and from deception to another.

Did I choose all that? Well some of it, I was aware that some decisions I should not have made but don’t blame a sick hopeless person, blame those who tasted the glory and forsaken it for the lesser. I think the prodigal son was crazy, how could he leave such a wonderful Dad? In the prodigal son’s story, I think the son was bad, in my story my father’s absence was bad. After I came to Christ, and his glorious light shone upon my darkness, I learned about the heavenly Dad but it was mere theology and head knowledge rather than a radical life changing experiences with him. If you were to ask me some spiritual questions, I would have raised my chin up and answered you boldly about my solid sound doctrine. I would have answered the same if you were to ask me about the trinity and the Heavenly Father but did I know him by experience? Not really! My friend, I tell you the truth, everything bad and deformed in my experience with my earthly dad was projected in my relationship with my Heavenly Father, without knowing. I always thought that this up there Father is distant, uncaring and an old guy on the throne. I always felt disconnected with him, I know he’s there hearing me and providing but I was not able to connect intimately with him. I treated him the same way I treated my dad, I used to bring him my list of needs in prayer to provide and then leave. I didn’t express my love to him and I didn’t think he would say it back to me or even wanted to touch me. My perspective of this perfect Dad who is like no other was deformed with the filter of my imperfect experiences. Until the moment my Heavenly Father started to visit me to introduce himself to me … and here my story begins!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

Relationships like Heaven

I am wondering how relationships look like in heaven? How do people treat each other up there? But before I proceed talking about relationships I want to shed a light on this idea that I find foundational. Relationships are a divine concept and issue from the heart and the nature of God because as you know God is a Trinity, Father Son & Holy Spirit. He is one God in 3 separate persons that share the same nature, divinity and unity. God the Father has a will separate than the will of the Son and the Holy Spirit, that’s why we see Jesus surrendering his will to the will of his Father before he went to the cross. (Luke 22:42)

The Concept of relationships is from eternity and this glorious fellowship in the Godhead is intimate even before the creation of Angels. Everything good initiates from God and he wants us to enjoy this eternal pleasure of being involved in godly relationships with him and others as he is with himself and his children. God is a relational God and everything he does is based on this and he made you a partner with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). People who are in heaven are looking at the throne of God and at his right hand where Jesus sits and the Holy Spirit who is before the throne and they are beholding this glorious fellowship going on in the Godhead and are mirroring the exact same thing with each other.

Jesus: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:44-45). See? God’s nature is the guideline for our relationships and the more we are transformed into his image the more our relationships will be holy and heavenly not the opposite, work on being changed first and not on changing others or the relationship itself. Jesus also said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34- 35). Jesus first modeled practically before us how to do it. Oh if you really want an exciting glorious life of blessed relationships, look at the Trinity! God longs that relationships in your personal life, in your church, in your workplace, in your family, in your community, in your school, in your university and in the marketplace to be on earth as it is heaven! Let God coach you in relationships and bring you revival!

 Glory to God
Tony Francis

The Story of Rocky & Sandy

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. (Psalms 27:10-11)

Rocky and Sandy were cute little children who spent most of their childhood time playing together in the neighborhood. Sandy was raised by wonderful parents who loved her so much and were so concerned to be the best parents to make her lack nothing. Although they were busy yet they always found quality time to spend with their little precious daughter. They played together, ate together, laughed together, brought her gifts and took her to the best school in town; they really did their best to take care of her to secure a wonderful childhood full of warm memories and feelings when she recalls it. Rocky was also raised in such a wonderful family too, his parents did also the same with him but within the frame of their spending of their time together, they taught him the word of God and his ways, they prayed together & they prayed for Rocky and not only with words they also modeled the gospel to him in their living and actions. They really invested in Rocky and set him in the safe boundaries of God’s word. Both Rocky & Sandy had a wonderful childhood and wonderful moms & dads.

Rocky and Sandy grew up healthy teenagers excited to embrace their journey of life and ready to explore the world but they both faced tough temptations which were so appealing, attracting & seducing. Rocky’s decisions were so firm and didn’t yield because the hidden word of God in him supported him along the way but Sandy couldn’t resist long and was lost in the world and great was her fall.

Jesus: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Now whose parenting endured? Whose parenting was successful? Parenting is a lot of sweat but it’s worth the hard work because true parenting isn’t meant to be for a short term but for a long term that stick to your children everywhere. Are you a short term or a long term parent? Will your parenting accompany your children and influence them to make godly decisions even when you aren’t there? In Psalms 27:10 David said that his parents forsake him and the Lord will receive him but why would David seek after God? The answer is in the next verse, God as a mother & a father receives David to teach him his way, his word to remain strong against his oppressors. A father and a mother’s first duty is to teach their children God’s ways which enable them to stand against the oppressors of life. It’s such a blessing to have spiritual parents who feed you the word of God but if you don’t have, God’s parenting for you is more than enough. Study all the scriptures and you will learn that this is God’s original design for parenting! Adopt it. “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalms 127:1)

 Glory to God
Tony Francis

When fathers abandon you

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit. (Matthew 27:45-46, 50)
 

Our blessed Savior tasted all kinds of pain on his way to the cross and while he hanged on it there but the last pain he experienced just before he died was the pain of fatherhood abandonment. It was so dark around him; didn’t also feel so dark when your father abandoned you? Jesus shouted twice with a loud voice and released his deep painful sonship cry asking why? Why? I don’t get it, I am supposed to be your son, you can’t let go. A father-son relationship must not be broken at all. Jesus shouted twice with a loud voice and gave up his spirit because he could tolerate anything but this. Abandonment kills you!

Maybe you too have experienced in some way your father’s abandonment but you didn’t cry out loudly although you are suffering from the pain of rejection and your destructive lifestyle shouts this clearly. Drown in drugs, in alcoholism, in pornography, in failures? Maybe you doubt everyone? Maybe you are a workaholic, a perfectionist? You gave up on doing life healthily and the way you are living is nothing but a loud cry hoping that your father hears your big unanswerable WHY!

We live in a fallen world and our fathers raised us up the best way they know how, our leaders, our pastors, our friends and even you and I are the same but the heavenly Father is the only perfect dad in the universe. It was the huge penalty of our sins that separated him from his son for a while so you and I will never experience in Christ his abandonment. There’s nothing that can separate us from our heavenly Father because Jesus paid the price of abandonment once and forever. Today if you are in Christ, hear the heavenly Father declaring over you his glorious eternal unbreakable promises: “You are accepted in the beloved and I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

You can read this devotion also on Patricia King’s website:

http://www.xpmedia.com/article/17386

Glory to God
Tony Francis

The healing touch of Jesus

“After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. So He went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. ” Mark 1:29-31

Have you by accident been electrocuted when you were a child playing around? You definitely discovered that plugging your fingers in electricity is bad and later you developed expectancy that touching electricity will get you the same results over and over again. Maybe you were ignorant the first time of such a thing and maybe you are ignorant today of the powerful healing touch of Jesus! I believe that sometimes the Lord treats us with Mercy the first time and heals us but as we experience this we start developing expectancy that if we touch him again his healing power will flow to us as it happened with the woman of the issue of the blood! She touched the hem of his garment expecting in her heart to be healed and she was! Glory to God!

I can imagine Simon’s mother-in-law sitting in her bed with some neighbors around telling her: “Oh did you know that Jesus the Healer is passing by you today because he got the news of your sickness?” hearing this caused her faith & expectancy to leap within her because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17. Her expectancy continued to rise with each closer step Jesus made toward her house and as the bell rang her expectancy continued to rise and as she heard the voice of the doctor of doctors in the next room asking: “where is she?” her expectancy continued to mount up with wings like eagles as she was waiting on the lord and hoping in him until it reached its pinnacle as soon as Jesus sat beside her and took her by hand and healed her!

What’s your bed of sickness? What’s giving you a high fever? What’s robbing your strength & health? Is it a physical disease? Is it a mental or emotional torment? Is it a spiritual sin? The name of your sickness doesn’t really matter because the name of Jesus is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11) and it doesn’t matter how bad your disease is because Jesus healed all your diseases (Psalms 103:3). Jesus the Healer is visiting you today through this word you are reading because he longs to show you compassion as you come to him (Isaiah 30:18) actually you are a step away of your healing because he is knocking at the door of your heart. Open the door of expectancy & faith to him and receive your healing NOW! It’s so easy.

Prayer:

Lord, you are so compassionate to heal me and those you touched have experienced your healing power and you are no respecter of man. Today I want to join this cloud of healed witnesses and receive my healing that cost you a very painful price on the cross. As you said when you pray believe that you received and it shall be yours! I decree: It’s finished, my sickness is finished in Jesus mighty name and healing is mine. Amen!

Glory to God
Tony Francis