Neil Bester

A walk to rememberA JOURNEY WITH THE FOREVER FATHER

Your first concept of God?

Ephesians 1:3-5 NIVPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will …

First a father

2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV … that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

FATHER

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:43-45 NIV

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7 NIV

The Father in the Old TestamentIsaiah 9:6 – Everlasting Father

Isaiah 63:16 – You are the Father

Isaiah 64:8 – You, Lord are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter

The Father in the Old TestamentJeremiah 3:19 – I thought you would call me Father

Psalm 68:5 – A father to the fatherless

Psalm 103:13 – A father has compassion, so the Lord has compassion

God is first a father SECURITY

IDENTITY

BELONGING