MONTANA — Greetings from the Big Sky Country.
Click the audio player above to listen to the podcast or read the transcript below.
Or … you could do both.
Thank you, Mark. And thank you for dropping by to listen.
Yes, I know Father’s Day was a couple of weeks ago — June 19th to be exact.
And no, I didn’t forget.
And no, I’m not late.
Well, maybe just a little bit late.
But I’d like to talk to those of you who have fathers.
I imagine that includes most of you.
Was your father good, okay, or bad?
You may have had an excellent father. Or you may have had a father who was just okay. Or you may have had a father who was … let’s just say, not so good.
Perhaps you don’t even know who your real father was.
Whatever the situation with your earthly father, I have some very good news for you.
I’d like to begin that good news with something Jesus said when he taught his followers how to pray. He gave them a sample prayer. We’ve come to call it the Lord’s Prayer.
You may have memorized it.
Notice how Jesus begins that prayer.
“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.”
Matthew 6:9 (ESV)
Jesus tells us to pray to “our Father.”
Think about that.
God, the Creator of the Universe, is our Father.
And you know what?
God our Father actually loves us.
Which is amazing because the Bible teaches that God knows absolutely everything about us — what we’ve done, what we’ve said, even what we’ve thought.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve done, and said, and thought a few things that I would just as soon no one ever knew.
And yet God knows every one of those things in my life … and in your life … and still He loves us.
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
He loves us so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins — all those things we’ve done and said and thought that weren’t all that good.
Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we could live forever with God because Our Father loves us.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (ESV)
God is our Father in Heaven and He wants … listen carefully … He wants you to be part of His family.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12 (ESV)
Did you get that? Your Heavenly Father wants you to be His child.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”
1 John 3:1 (ESV)
Grab hold of that truth.
Don’t let it go.
God … your Heavenly Father … loves you and wants you to be part of His family.
Celebrate Father’s Day Today
So, whether you forgot Father’s Day a couple of weeks ago, or had a great time honoring your earthly father, I would encourage you to set aside today to honor your Heavenly Father.
Thank Him for loving you and providing you the way to spend eternity with Him.
You have a great Heavenly Father.
Here are links to some things that I found interesting recently.
The first is an article on the cancel culture we now live in. It doesn’t matter if what you say is true or not. All that matters is that you must spout the “approved” line or you will be punished.
“I’m An MD Suspended By Twitter for Tweeting A Link To A Scientific Article On COVID-19 Vaccine Lowering Sperm Counts” by Andrew Boston.
And then there’s the drug culture. More and more studies are indicating something many have known — cannabis has many harmful results.
“Today’s extraordinary New York Times piece on cannabis and psychosis” by Alex Berenson. As states continue to pass laws legalizing various drugs you probably haven’t read or heard many stories suggesting that science shows that some of those drugs are harmful.
“Cannabis may now cause one in four new cases of schizophrenia in men” by Alex Berenson. Summary of a study presented to the 2022 International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Artificial Intelligence is fascinating but it’s also getting a little bit scary. Check out the two links below and consider how your life could be impacted in the future.
“AI Wrote and Performed a Jerry Seinfeld Routine!” from Speaking of AI on YouTube. If it can do this now, what do you think you will be hearing in the future? The very near future.
“Amazon Showcases Technology Transforming Alexa’s Voice Into Your Deceased Loved One’s Voice” by Brandon Drey. Is this something you would really want?
I’d like to end with an update from a former student.
The Rodli’s News Video. A ministry update by a former student who now serves in Thailand. It’s exciting to see how God is working around the world.
Before I go I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.
“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)
Until next time … be the reason someone smiles today!
Clint
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