Are you Merely Injected with Christ?

Today, I received the final vaccine in preparation for a mission to Tanzania, Africa. I did my research and looked up the various vaccines I would need on the CDC's website. Then, I did what any cheapskate would do. I opted for the bare minimum and less expensive injections I could get away with. It's not that's just the way I roll. It's the way I have to. I still ended up with almost five hundred dollars in preventative medicine.  It's equivalent to around eight months salary for the average worker were I am going. It's hard for us to imagine.
Waiting in the doctor's office, I realized many of us treat our salvation in much the same way. As if, salvation were only some preventative medicine in which a minimum dosage could make you immune from Hell. I started wondering, what if salvation was injectable?

Of course, there would be some that refused it, saying it wasn't really needed. Others would simply pretend they had it to get them into the places where it would be a requirement.There would be some that claimed the vaccine itself wasn't a real cure. Sadly, if it were possible,  many claiming to have had the injection would prevent others from receiving theirs.
 Every evangelist can tell you stories where a prospective convert will ask, "just how much of Jesus do I need to get to heaven?"If salvation were a vaccine, no doubt loads of people would take the minimum. Perhaps, even more troubling, if we are honest, most currently on the vaccine,  just wouldn't follow the doctor's orders, despite him paying all the cost. So many of us fail to exercise our faith, and hold back bold prayers, like we are afraid of a reaction to the medicine. Because we are merely injected with Christianity.
 Scripture tell us  "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man Imagined, what God has prepared for those that love him.  2 Corinthians 9
If we're are honest, many Christ followers long to see the power of God move, but prays as if we are scared He will. The enemy has used the mystery of where God's call might take us to frighten us so much, many will settle for a bridled spirit. It's like turning the volume way down while playing your favorite song. It makes no sense. It's why I cringe at "be careful what you pray for, you just might get it".
 Here's what I know, I am cancer free but I follow my cancer doctor's orders. I don't miss appointments and I still take his advice. Likewise, we should follow Christ's instruction. Salvation isn't meant to be some one time injection cure all quick fix. It's the beginning of a life long treatment plan. It's a beginning of a relationship. Like all relationships, you have to communicate what you want out of it. I triple dog dare you to dream big dreams and pray bold prayers so you can watch God show off.

Christmases Don't Just Happen

There are certain things you just come to expect at Christmas. Stockings hung on real and imagined fireplaces. Presents neatly wrapped and heaped underneath an adorned tree. The lights, the decorations, the music, but I think it is the smell of Christmas that seduces me into my love affair with the season. The combination of fresh cut pines and pumpkin spice candles produce a heavenly aroma. Still, nothing smells quite like Christmas as grandma`s kitchen. If southerners had their own version of The Twelve days of Christmas, there would be eight maids a baking...five pecan pies. Everyone wants Christmas to look just right, sound just right, smell just right, and feel just right. As any seasoned celebrator can tell you, Christmases don't just happen. Presents don't wrap themselves and homemade red velvet cake doesn't apply it's own cream cheese icing. A tremendous amount of preparation and planning goes in marrying our old family traditions to our new ones. It's truly a magical thing to tie our past to a vision of the future.  It`s a tiny symbol of the same sort of plan our Heavenly Father had that first Christmas so long ago. 

This year, like so many of the past, many will break open their bibles to read Luke chapter two or Matthew Chapter one and tell the story of the first Christmas. It is a story I hold dear to my heart and one I love to share. I only wish, for once at Christmas, we would tell the story from where it began.

The essence and mission of Christmas does not begin in Matthew chapter one. The beginning won`t be found in Luke chapter two. If you want the Christmas story, as told from it's beginning, read John chapter 1: 1-17.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.   The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.   (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Verse nine ties this passage to the Christmas story, telling how the true light, Jesus, was coming into the world. You see, Christ took one foot off the throne in heaven and stepped onto a mission field. A mission, to save us.  It is a mission He has commanded us to be a part of.
In Matthew Chapter 28: 19-20 Jesus said this Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
These words convince me of 4 THINGS.
1. HE IS COMMANDING THE CHURCH, BECAUSE THE TASK WAS TOO LARGE FOR THE DISCIPLES AND HE KNEW THEY COULD NOT FINISH IT.

2. THE CHURCH`S MISSION IS TO BE OBEDIENT  and to TEACH OBEDIENCE to Christ.  The great commission, is a great commandment, not a great suggestion.

3. WE CAN`T BE OBEDIENT, UNLESS WE TAKE THE GOSPEL GLOBAL. THE GOSPEL IS A UNIVERSAL MESSAGE FOR ALL PEOPLE. HE TELLS US TO Go To all nations. Two thirds of God's name is Go!

4. GOD IS WITH US. It's the essence of Christmas.  We remember every Christmas season, ISAIAH CALLED Jesus IMMANUEL which means  ``God with us" 

When God is with us,

it's sort of like showing up at the Christmas party and all the work has already been done. All you have to remember is the time. Consider these words from the prophet Isaiah. 46.9-11.ESV remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,   declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’   calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it

 These verses illustrate, the plan of God involves not only the calling of man, but also the minute details of nature.  Since, even the birds have a role to play in God`s plan. The only part that God has asked us to do is to remember who He is. If we can do that, He has promised to do the rest.

There is another misconception about Christmas. Christmas began when Christ entered our world that is a celebration that doesn`t just come and go with a season. It is an owngoing celebration to those of us that belong to Him. From our point of view the story isn`t finished, yet. So, what part will you play in the Christmas story. Will you bow before the Christ? Will obey Him, and help spread the story to all nations? Come let us adore Him, and let us remember, Christmases don`t just happen.

The Broken Vessel: Are You Ready For Christmas?

The Broken Vessel: Are You Ready For Christmas?

The Broken Vessel: 7 Things I Learned Praying for ISIS.

The Broken Vessel: 7 Things I Learned Praying for ISIS.

7 Things I Learned Praying for ISIS.

When I was kid, my grandmother read to me often. Tales of witches and dragons never caused me any nightmares. Maybe it was because the heroes always win in those stories. Of all the stories she ever read, the only nightmares I ever had came from the story of  "The Three Little Pigs". Depending which version you read, the pigs suffer tragedy and loss before their victory. Through the years, I've lost count of how many dreams where the Big Bad Wolf, with flaming eyes, has been outside my bedroom window, trying to get me to let him in. I'm well into my forties, and still, occasionally, he shows up. Lately, he's been showing up in a new place. In a reality where I am wide awake. It's a real nightmare. It's as if, ISIS is saying, "open the door and let me in." Yet somehow, in this world of ultra tolerance for the bazaar and insane, anyone who replies, "not by the hair on my chinny chin chin" is a racist discriminator of religion. Go figure.
 Despite how you might feel about the Syrian refugees, you'd have to be naive to think there isn't wolves in sheep's clothing among them. Americans, including Christ followers and especially the politicians, as with many other issues, are divided. "Christ has told us a house divided will not stand." As a follower of Christ, I've never struggled so much with how to respond to a situation in my life. How do we do what is commanded by scripture in this case? Clearly, we not only have a responsibility mandated throughout scripture to protect our homes, families, and friends, but also have been commanded to love our enemies,and to live sacrificially and fearlessly. Giving to those in need is certainly required. I've been torn between the two concepts for awhile, prayerfully seeking wisdom to give me peace. Searching the scripture and praying, so as to, not trust my personal feelings to draw a simple conclusion, has been a daunting task. Those times in prayer and scripture, I have been reminded of the simple order of my allegiances. My obedience and obligation lies in order to God, spouse, family, church, community, state, nation, and world. Here's what I've discovered so far.

1. Loving the enemy means praying for them. Even from Christians, there hasn't been much of a call for prayer for ISIS or the refugees. It's important to remember the population of Syria is about 10% Christian. Our brothers and sisters are among the refugees . The Bible tells us to pray for our brothers and our enemies. It won't cost us anything to pray. Pray for their salvation, and our protection.

2. I don't have to separate logic from a spiritual decision. God is the inventor of common sense. It tells me so in Proverbs 2:6. I won't pretend otherwise. Sure, sometimes the Holy Spirit asks us to do what seems crazy to us. That doesn't mean everything He asks us to do should seem like suicide. I can share my resources, but not to the point that I've divided them so thin I, along with those I'm trying to help, perish. In order to help, I must preserve myself. Loving all people makes me find creative ways to help from safe distances whenever possible. There are better ways to help without opening our borders.

3. Never forget what sacrifice is. Never forget what sacrifice does. Every call for self-sacrifice by God's followers has been for the salvation of others, mostly in conjunction with destroying the enemy. Even His own sacrifice. Still, He did so willingly. I believe the litmus test for self-sacrifice is the preservation of life for others by a willing participant. Otherwise, it maybe martyrdom but not self-sacrifice. In the case of our nation, it would mostly be neither. Rarely, if ever, does God ask us to gamble with other people's lives, and or souls. This scenario puts the lives of both parties at risk. I am unaware of any place where God included the unwilling in sacrifice. Likewise, we shouldn't expect those who are unwilling to take in refugees to do so. In weighing the possibilities, our decision should be made by how we can best positively impact all parties. Relocating Syrians to areas with similar culture would best serve and protect the majority.

4. We should not let those without a connection to Christ, being used by Satan, to lecture us on the merits of Christian charity. Here's why: 2Timothy3 1-7" But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth." It's tragically funny, those who have made every decision, based on logic, now suggest we aren't following scripture. Making cautious decisions, to preserve as much life as possible and to avoid conflict, is Christ like.

5. Be true to the teachings and example of Christ. All of it. Christ is so compassionate and forgiving, we sometimes forget, He called His enemies a bunch of snakes. He told His disciples to be "shrewd". Defining enemies as those who are not with Him, Jesus plainly points them out. Moreover, He instructed disciples to value a weapon above clothing. (Luke 22:36) Clearly, a weapon can be used by a Christ follower for noble purposes. Don't forget Jesus ran people from His Father's house. It leaves me little doubt I shouldn't do the same. Don't disconnect from Christian charity but be shrewd.

6. Neither view things optimistically or pessimistically. Be realistic in whatever situation you find yourself in. Ask yourself, what is our best chance for reaching the most lost people already here? Adding an extra 100,000 lost people here will make the task much more difficult. However, if the Church finds itself in that circumstance, we will have an incredible opportunity.

 7. God is in control. I'm trusting not in my ability to build a house of bricks the Big Bad Wolf can't blow in. I stand on a foundation built upon God's promises of a grace I can fall back on. His word will be my lamp, His hand will be my guide. He will cause what comes to work out for our good. Come what may, I will not be afraid.

If you have struggled, with the complexity of this issue, I hope this will give you peace in rejecting a threat. Just to be clear,  we must always be ready to listen individually to the Holy Spirit. I expect there will be exceptions where God will intervene.  I'd never claim we should stay inside of our comfort zone to serve God. I only ask, are you trusting God? Or just your feelings? I hope you join me in praying for ISIS and the refugees as well as for the protection of our nation.

7 Ways To Beat Fear

To date, the scariest thing I've faced since battling cancer has been the dreaded post op follow up. Imagine the relief I felt when my first post treatment MRI came back clear. The bible teaches us to not be anxious over anything. It also teaches us not to lie. I'd be lying if I said this Dr. visit wasn't a source of more than a little anxiety for me. When I'm scared, I do the things you'd expect from a Christ follower. I talk to brothers and sisters in the faith, read the word, meditate on scripture, and focus on things eternal.  I think Jesus and myself have handled the whole Big Bad Brain Tumor pretty well so far.  Still, there have been times where I felt as though I were hiding behind a mask.  At times, I have, if only briefly, faked the whole "brave" thing for my family, friends, and for myself. It seems, battling demons with pen and paper is quite easier than dueling the devil in person. 

Fear, the most primal of all emotions, ironically, is an instinct designed to prevent what we really fear the most. Pain. Sometimes, pain is brought on by another thing many fear, the truth. The truth that whatever fears we succumb to defines us. Physically speaking, fears might prolong your life, while simultaneously preventing you from living abundantly, spiritually.  The spiritual fears we succumb to are the boundary lines where our faith stops. The entertainment industry has made billions on our addiction to fear while derailing truth.  Convincing the populace of a huge lies, such as, evil isn't attractive.  Instilling notions that demons aren't real, but if they were, they could be defeated by superstitious rituals.  Teaching salvation from evil can be obtained from accessing the goodness inside us. I find it strange some actually enjoy being made afraid by make believe while they avoid facing their real fears. Wondering why, in a world filled with suffering, some have convinced themselves of a reality where monsters do not exist. I've tolerated Halloweens year after year, perplexed over the delight some find in being made afraid. While, almost no one wants to talk about the truly scary things. Things like disease, death, heaven, hell, and of course, God's judgment, often create silence. Until fate, destiny, or divine providence forces you to face the music.

Each of us have our own unique fears. God's people have an arsenal against fear found in his word. 

Here's 7 weapons He has given us against fear.

Fear itself. Fear is the first tool God uses.  Since FDR uttered the famous words "we have nothing to fear but fear itself", America has been forgetting how to fear God. He uses fear not only to keep use physically safe but to keep us spiritually safe. Jesus said in Mathew 10:28 " And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" The bible teaches us over 40 times to fear God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

 Proverbs 9:10

Fear in God is the first step in overcoming all other fears.  Embrace the fear of The Lord.

Belief: apparently a little bit of this goes a long way. According to Jesus, faith in the amount of a mustard seed can move mountains. It is also the prescription  for fear. But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36

Trust: it goes one step beyond belief in the capabilities to change things. It allows for acceptance with the way things are. It requires knowing God is good, has a plan, and is always right.

When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?  Psalm 56:3-4

Praise: is a weapon against fear. I believe it is impossible to overcome true fear without praising God. Consider the words of David

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge,

my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 

Praise God, our enemies hates it.

Service: most of us had an early healthy fear of darkness. So much so, that we associate darkness with fear and vice versa. You probably never thought of service as a weapon against darkness .  The bible teaches service creates light  if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:10. 

Power: so often we forget the power that created the universe lives inside us. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us: for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  God gives us power to control and overcome our fears.

Love: causes us to do strange and wonderful things. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. It was love that caused Jesus to leave heaven for us, die for us, and give us the tools to live boldly.

Life is too short to live in fear.

The epitome of someone living in fear is a person unwilling to connect to a creator willing to sacrifice himself for us. It makes you wonder what are they afraid of?

5 Ways Heaven will be like a High School Reunion

Recently, I attended my 25th high school reunion. To be blunt, I had a blast.  I would imagine, it wasn't unlike the typical high school reunion for small towns. Everybody knows everybody. Not to sound cliché, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. If you tried hard enough , I guess you could find something wrong with it. The food was good but it wasn't fantastic. It wasn't a spectacular venue. I'm told we didn't have the budget for the Taj Mahal. It was less than perfect. Not the sort of atmosphere where you would expect to catch a glimpse of heaven. But, like so many spiritual lessons, God's truth parallels much of our everyday lives. Here's some ways heaven will be like our high school reunion.

There's a lot of planning involved: These things don't just happen. Every celebration event involves a great deal of planning. It is where the guest list starts. The celebration in heaven won't be an exception. The banquet in heaven was planned from the foundation of the world.

A sacrifice must take place to accomplish the setting: At most high school reunions,  people get to attend an event that most put no effort into creating. Don't overlook this. Someone sacrificed their time and energy for your benefit. Even though, you didn't ask them. Likewise, Jesus has sacrificed everything so we can come to Him.

Everybody was invited, but only a few come: Only 20% of our original class showed up. I bet that's about normal. The 80- 20 rule works in about everything. I hope Jesus does better with his party. The word is it will be "few". For just a moment at the reunion, I was kinda sad. I wanted to see some people I hadn't seen in awhile. That  didn't prevent us from having a great time. To be clear, there will be no sadness in heaven. So, I probably won't know if you don't make it, but indulge me the similes. At the reunion, people I thought wouldn't make it came while others I was sure would be there, were not.  I bet heaven will be the same.

Excuses will be made for missing it : Life has to take precedence over a reunion. There were some legitimate reasons for not making them. I get that. Still, let's be honest, some people just don't want to be there. Pick any excuse you want. If you'd like, you can double down with them for not attending church as well.  Does this sound like them? " There will be hypocrites and fake people there." "I don't make enough money". "I don't have the time." "I need my rest". My personal favorite is" I haven't forgiven so and so for what they did to me." That one could keep you away from a reunion and out heaven. We don't force people we love to spend time with us. Neither will Jesus. He will let you miss heaven if you want to.

If you want to attend, you need to RSVP: You can't just show up to a reunion. Preparations need to be made to accommodate you. Simply put, you'll have to respond to the invitation. Heaven's RSVP is done in the form of rebirth. It comes  through repentance and confession of a faith in Jesus Christ. There's no other way to attend the grand celebration. You coming? 

Little Things Learned

A year ago today, I underwent brain surgery and was diagnosed with a rare cancer. It's an odd blessing, a brain tumor. Here's some of the year's revelations and lessons.

People will surprise you. You'll never know how caring or how inconsiderate some can be until you are sick. I promise you'll cry tears of joy and sorrow.

Miracles still happen. Too many to count. Here is the top two. A tumor they said was too close to the carotid artery to resect is a 100% gone. Our financial needs were met miraculously. Praise God.

God will send you. Sometimes, where you don't want to go. I would never have went to Boston except for this tumor. There were people who were saved and lives changed because of it. I'm still humbled by that.

Make God sized Goals. The Broken Vessel has had 10,000 or so page views in the past 12 months.  My testimony of Christ has been shared in 25 nations so far. Speaking has been the icing on the cake. God makes BIG deals out of simple obedience.

Expect God sized test if you make God sized goals. Expect Satan to show up. Praise God for every obstacle he brings. Read Romans 8:28 for why.

Pray Big Prayers. The way God may answer them might be overwhelming. It might scare you half to death. But it will be worth it.

The Secret Weapon

Pardon the pun, but a year ago, I spent this week wrapping my mind around a brain tumor. First, they said it wasn't cancer. Then, they said it was. Since those days, the only certainty has been uncertainty. 

Few things in life are certain. For the most part, what we call a sure thing is just an illusion. What it really is, is a life most of us take for granted. 

I spent most of this year slaying the invisible monsters and battling the one I can see in the mirror. Cancer is a  disease certain to challenge your faith over and over. You might eradicate it from your body but it will plague you in the constructs of your mind. Satan will attempt to torment a soul in this life, even if can't in the next. Just ask Job. This week, I make an appointment for another MRI to see if the tumor has regrown. Last year they couldn't find any trace post surgery.  Praise God! In spite of that great blessing I've been given, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious.  It's a new spiritual battle I face everyday.  Like all spiritual battles, it's  one I can learn from and one I'll be victorious in, through Christ.

The monsters aren't the only thing invisible. There are battle scars you just can't see. No one can tell by looking, I've had brain surgery. Yet, I can assure you the scars are there, on the inside. They are still a source of pain, despite the fact that you can't see them. Reminding me, we can't see the scars on people's hearts. Especially those camouflaged with smiles and wit or the ones heavily armored with rudeness and indifference. Constantly now, God reminds me we were made from the dirt and I was always broken. Even before the revelation of this disease.

 Besides the spiritual armor discribed in Ephesians 6, Christ followers have a secret weapon to deploy in spiritual battle.

It's a weapon of mass construction. The only solution I've found. Praise. Thanking God in all circumstances. Praise reminds us of not only who is our Father, but also, who our Father is. Our creator, sustainer, defender, and redeemer. Our friend.

The enemy can't stand it. Can't stand for it. Can't stand up to it. Can't stand around it. 

Jeremiah 17:14 says"Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 

Praise changes everything. Praise leads to service. Service is just praise on steroids .

If you are in any spiritual battle , I encourage you to share them. Don't battle alone. Let's praise Him!! And serve Him!!! What are someways we can serve Him together?

Why God Doesn`t Have Grandchildren.

A while back, my girls and I attended a real Indian pauwau. Amid the festivities, one of the chiefs offered beautiful words of prayer to a creator deity they refer to as Grandfather.

During the prayer, my youngest daughter tugged on my hand and found my eyes open. In a confused little whisper, she asked "do we pray ?" "No," I whispered back," God's our Father not our grandfather.

Some might find this trivial. Others might

consider it dogmatic. I guess, God could be mistook for a grandfather. Especially by those of us, who visualize God as, some benevolent old guy who stays out of the way. For sure, too many of us have reduced our visits with God to brief encounters over the weekend. Sort of like spending the weekend with grandpa. I mean, you got to maintain somewhat of a relationship to get the good stuff at Christmas, right?

 To be clear, it is not my intention to split hairs or to slay some invisible dragon. Neither is my intention to insult Native American traditions. My intention is to kill a wolf in sheep's clothing, a heresy, disguised as multiculturalism.While the world embraces multiculturalism, we must remember God did not create the various cultures, man did. Lord knows, I aint trying to deliver a southern fried version of the gospel, neither y`all.  Multicultural ideas are bound to find their way into Christianity. It's not some mysterious phenomenon. Since Jesus created all of mankind, He resonates with men from all cultures. It's why Christianity is able to cross borders and appeal to even those belonging to other faiths. As platonic as some multiculturalism seems, if the ideas are contray to biblical teaching, they must be rejected. 

Here's why it matters. Satan's methods are subtle. Left to our own imaginations, we will invent our version of God. I found this quote from C. S. Lewis researching for this blog.

“What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, ‘What does it matter so long as they are contented?’ We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven — a senile benevolence who, as they say, ‘liked to see young people enjoying themselves,’ and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, ‘a good time was had by all.’”

— "The Problem of Pain"

The concept of a grandfather god leaves us with either another god, which is idolatry, or an absentee father. An absent father is either dead or has abandoned us. Those are ideas Satan would love to convince us of.  God chooses His children and the heirs to His kingdom. Unlike grandparents, it's  the exclusive right of a parent to choose the creation and number of their children.   Ephesians 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Fathers have a responsibility to meet the needs of dependant children. A tasked not assigned to grandparents. For example, grandfathers are not expected to discipline children in the way a father should. Make no mistake, our Father loves us and will discipline us. Hebrews 12:6 tells us because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." By taking on the roll of Father, God has agreed to meet our needs and began an exclusive relationship with us.

Christ paid the ultimate price for us so that we might be called the sons and daughters of God. We are children because of His will and called to a holy inheritance. It is so important to realize we cannot create relatives for our Heavenly Father by procreating. Our children are not automatic heirs to our Father's kingdom. They too, must be adopted like all our brothers and sisters. Make sure your children know they must have an exclusive relationship with a Heavenly Father, because God has no grandchildren.