EPHESIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED
15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named -- [that Father] from whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.
I have included these different translations, with the notes from the margin, to show that the Bible says that all fatherhood derives from God. In other words, God is the original Father. Everything good that fathers are, was in God first. All earthly fatherhood is but a replica of what was first in God.
EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NIV
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
NIV NOTE: Or whom all fatherhood
EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NRSV
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
NRSV Note: Gk fatherhood
One mission of Jesus on earth was to show us what God was like, to reveal Him to us. Jesus introduced the concept of God as Father. The Jews did not know God as Father because the Old Testament does not teach it. No other religion had looked to God as a Father. Instead God was generally thought of as a judge at best, and often as a despicable character who could only be trusted to let you down; someone who would play tricks on you just for his amusement, and delight in disappointing you.
Concepts of God haven't really changed much, have they!
But Jesus revealed to humanity that God was not like they thought -- He was a good Father. Not someone who would do them wrong, but someone who would take care of them with their best interest always at heart. Someone who would love them more than they loved themselves.
How do you think of God?
DEUTERONOMY 30:19 NKJ
19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Most people don't realize that God has given them the power to choose whether they will be blessed.
We choose whether to go God's way and be blessed, or ignore God and go our own way and reap the unfortunate consequences.
God has given humans an amazing freedom to make choices. God does not force blessing on us -- we must choose blessing by choosing God and His ways.
God did not create us to be puppets, robots, or slaves. God desires a family He can fellowship with. There would be no joy in being loved by a robot who had no choice, so God created us with the freedom and the right to make choices.
With our right to make choices also came the responsibility to make them. So we must make choices. God does not make our choices for us.
How do we choose life and blessing? By what we choose to think. Our thoughts guide our actions. That is why feeding or meditating on the Word of God is so vital. The thoughts we allow to dominate our consciousness will determine the focus and direction of our life.
We choose whom we will serve. We choose who and what will influence and thus govern our thoughts and actions.
JOSHUA 24:15 NKJ
15 "... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve .... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
When you make a choice, you need to express it by your words. You need to speak and let the universe know where you stand.
SAY THIS: I choose God. I choose blessing. I choose life. I choose health. I choose prosperity. I choose Jesus Christ as my Lord.
