Stopping Short

The climax and the goal of the New Testament is revelation of and relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you stop by only knowing Jesus, then you’ve stopped short of the relationship that Jesus died to bring you into. If you’re reading this, I believe that Jesus Christ would want me to say to you that today He wants to take you to meet His Dad; your Heavenly Father. 

The church is filled with people who want to serve God without ever having a relationship with Him. People who fill up on teachings on how to do something for God instead of finding out who we are in Christ. And who we are (if you’ve trusted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior) is “sons” and “daughters”. And if we are sons and daughters then the implication is that we have a “father”.

We want some instant experience that is short of any relationship. Come to church (or prayer) and get a zap and suddenly you are just like Jesus. It doesn’t work that way. We become more Christ-like by spending time with Him.

The only people who will have a relationship with the Father are those who will cultivate a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ:
   - A Father who will embrace me
   - A Father who will love me
   - A Father who will hold me
   - A Father who will communicate with me
   - A Father who will provide for me
   - A Father who will be there for me

Jesus wants to take you meet His Father. A Heavenly father who is never going to die or abandon you or forsake you; that is the kind of relationship we all need. Our Heavenly Father is not like theologians have pictured Him. He is not like our earthly fathers. We think we know Him, yet we still stop short in really knowing Him.

One time, one of Jesus’ disciples, Philip, said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (John 14:8-9).

Jesus was saying to Philip and to all of us; “Every time that you saw me touch someone, reach out, heal, forgive, love; THAT is how our Heavenly Father would and does do it. “You seen Me, you’ve seen the Father”. 

You might be thinking; ‘so what do I need to do?’. First of all, stop relating to the Heavenly Father by what you do or don’t do: “You don’t read the Bible enough, pray enough, witness enough, etc.” Stop living under condemnation and guilt and instead let Jesus take you to meet His dad. He loves you and you are precious to Him; He calls you “beloved”. He acted first, while you were still a sinner (read Romans 5:8).

Let God do the work; your part is to agree with His assessment of sin (confess) and turn from it (repent). The Holy Spirit was given as a “helper”. He is God and wants to help you. The Holy Spirit wants to blast down those walls that you have placed up, that stops intimacy with the Father; to restore a level of trust that was violated when you were young, and you survived by not trusting any more.

Today can be a day of new beginnings; a day to finally hear the Father calling you “son” or “daughter”. Hear my plea to not “stop short”

Need further help? Someone is waiting to talk with you. Call either:
1-888-NEED HIM or 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426).