“Enter not into the fields of the fatherless!”
| Read “Will you marry her, right now?” – a true story about revealing a boyfriend’s real, degrading intention and depressing level of commitment towards his girlfriend. She cried and he got mad at me for exposing him. |
| People, its Father’s Day and we need to talk. Years ago, I happened to be in Kansas City for a funeral. While shaving one morning, I was praying and conversing with the Father. I asked, “Lord, why does my family struggle with their belief in You?” The Spirit of God spoke to my spirit-man, “Because, your earthly father is supposed to be a reflection of your Heavenly Father. If your earthly father was absent – physically, emotionally, etc. – you will tend to project that on to Me and perceive Me as an absent Father. If your earthly father was abusive, you will project that on to Me and perceive Me as abusive.” I was mildly dizzied as this revelation flooded through me. People, a mantle of fatherhood was placed squarely on the shoulders of men by God Himself (Gen 2:15-17; 1Cor 11:3). The word husband literally means “house-band,”i.e., the thing that keeps a house together. So, we understand the presence of fathers is the beginning of order, therefore, the absence of fathers tends towards disorder. Today, with the colossal removal, absence, and degradation of fathers (leaders/authorities), some form of death and decay is always the result. And it’s also a sign of judgment from God on a society (Isa 3:1-5; Hos 4:4-14). Here’s just one glaring example of the godless, lost, and abusive state of men today: Recently, speaking to a group of men, the majority of them indignantly and ignorantly stated, “Pregnancy is NOT a reason to get married!” I challenged. “Before you make a general statement like that, let’s examine this situation a bit more closely.” I asked, “What must a pregnant, unmarried woman be feeling?” They imagined that she’d probably be scared, worried, ashamed, alone, shocked, and maybe feel unprepared. She’d probably be weighing her options – to keep the baby or have an abortion. I then asked, “What about the baby when it’s born? Wouldn’t that child benefit from the immediate, constant presence of the daddy? Wouldn’t validation from their daddy benefit that child?” I then turned the tables. “How many of you wish your daddy was around to raise you? And, how many of you know that your life was greatly handicapped with the absence of your father?” Practically every man conceded this and a deep sense of conviction fell upon them as they saw more clearly just some damage of lost, self-centered men. I pressed, “Why couldn’t you see these consequences five minutes ago?” They replied, “I didn’t think about that,” or, “I didn’t see that.” I explained. “Let me help you, here. It’s because you were only thinking about yourself!” They all humbly confessed this was true, that too often they think only of themselves, and that they’ve lived self-centered lives instead of wife-centered, child-centered, and Christ-centered lives. When children grow up without a father (especially our biologicals) they are impacted and typically inherit roles as orphans, bastards, or illegitimate. These children are somewhat handicapped and starting very early, their lives are crippled. I grew up without a father. I am now fifty-nine years-old and very well adjusted, but I distinctly remember the dreadful void I had to negotiate – not knowing what a man was or what a man was supposed to do. (Talk about lack of identity.) I didn’t understand it then, but I constantly wrestled with feelings of inferiority and insecurity, therefore, what kind of husband or father could I really be? My life was impacted and I was crippled, but “I turned out all right,” right? I firmly know that if I had a good father there to guide, teach, push, and validate me, I could have gone further in life, earlier in life. (Read powerfully, truthful newsletter about broken children and the consequences of bastard circumstances.) Overwhelmingly today, men (leaders, politicians, authorities) are godless and preoccupied with self-interests – their flesh, their ignorance, their fear. They are consumed with self-centered lives and have learned only to take, never to give. The late Doctor Edwin Louis Cole wrote, “Love gives — lust gets. Love gives at the expense of self. Lust gets at the expense of others.” Godly, selfless men are missing today simply because men don’t have Christ. Consequently, most men today cannot possess a godly, fathering-spirit. And, this loss of God-given purpose can only lead to frustration and self-abuse. It’s like the story of the sea lion who has lost the sea, who instinctively suspects he was made for something far greater. And while he wrestles with compromise and resignation, he can’t kill the desire God placed in his heart. Nor will God let him stay there, lost. • Once upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea. He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau, far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty that it could only be called a desert. A kind of coarse grass grew in patches here and there, and a few trees were scattered across the horizon. But mostly, it was dust. And sometimes wind, which together make one very thirsty. Of course, it must seem strange to you that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was, mind you, a sea lion. But things like this do happen. How the sea lion came to the barren lands, no one can remember. It all seemed so very long ago. So long, in fact, it appeared as though he had always been there. Not that he belonged in such an arid place. How could that be? He was, after all, a sea lion. But as you know, once you have lived so long in a certain spot, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home. • There was a time, many years back, when the sea lion knew he was lost. In those days, he would stop every traveler he met to see if he might help him find his way back to the sea. But no one seemed to know the way. On he searched, but never finding. After years without success, the sea lion took refuge beneath a solitary tree beside a very small water hole. The tree provided refuge from the burning rays of the sun, which was very fierce in that place. And the water hole, though small and muddy, was wet, in its own way. Here he settled down and got on as best he could. • Had you journeyed in those days through the barren lands, you might have seen the sea lion for yourself. Quite often in the evening, he would go and sit upon his favorite rock, a very large boulder, which lifted him off the burning sand and allowed him a view of the entire country. There he would remain for hours into the night, silhouetted against the sky. And on the best nights, when the wind shifted to the east, a faint smell of salt air would come to him on the breeze. Then he would close his eyes and imagine himself once more at the sea. When he lay himself down to sleep, he would dream of a vast, deep ocean. Twisting and turning, diving and twirling, he would swim and swim and swim. When he awoke, he thought he heard the sound of breakers. The sea was calling to him. • The sea lion loved his rock, and he even loved waiting night after night for the sea breezes that might come. Especially he loved the dreams those memories would stir. But as you well know, even the best of dreams cannot go on, and in the morning when the sea lion woke, he was still in the barren lands. Sometimes he would close his eyes and try to fall back asleep. It never seemed to work, for the sun was always very bright. Eventually, it became too much for him to bear. He began to visit his rock only on occasion. “I have too much to do,” he told himself. “I cannot waste my time just idling about.” He really did not have so much to do. The truth of it was, waking so far from home was such a disappointment, he did not want to have those wonderful dreams anymore. The day finally came when he stopped going to his rock altogether, and he no longer lifted his nose to the wind when the sea breezes blew. • The sea lion was not entirely alone in those parts. For it was there he met the tortoise. Now this tortoise was an ancient creature, so weathered by his life in the barren lands that at first, the sea lion mistook him for a rock. He told the tortoise of his plight, hoping that this wise one might be able to help him. “Perhaps,” the tortoise mused, “this is the sea.” His eyes appeared to be shut against the bright sun, but he was watching the sea lion very closely. The sea lion swept his flippers once against his side, gliding to the end of the water hole and back. “I don’t know,” he said. “It isn’t very deep.” “Isn’t it?” “Somehow, I thought the sea would be broader, deeper. At least, I hoped so.” • “You must learn to be happy here,” the tortoise told him one day. “For it is unlikely you shall ever find this sea of yours.” Deep in his old and shriveled heart, the tortoise envied the sea lion and his sea. “But I belong to the sea. We are made for each other.” “Perhaps. But you have been gone so long now, the sea has probably forgotten you.” This thought had never occurred to the sea lion. But it was true, he had been gone for a long, long time. “If this is not my home, how can I ever feel at home here?” the sea lion asked. “You will, in time.” The tortoise appeared to be squinting, his eyes a thin slit. “I have seen the sea, and it is no better than what you have found here.” “You have seen the sea!” “Yes. Come closer,” whispered the tortoise, “and I will tell you a secret. I am not a tortoise. I am a sea turtle. But I left the sea of my own accord, many years ago, in search of better things. If you stay with me, I will tell you stories of my adventures.” • The stories of the ancient tortoise were enchanting and soon cast their spell upon the sea lion. As weeks passed into months, his memory of the sea faded. “The desert,” whispered the tortoise, “is all that is, or was, or ever will be.” When the sun grew fierce and burned his skin, the sea lion would hide in the shade of the tree, listening to the tales woven by the tortoise. When the dry winds cracked his flippers and filled his eyes with dust, the sea lion would retreat to the water hole. And so the sea lion remained, living his days between water hole and tree. The sea no longer filled his dreams. • It was in May that the winds began to blow. The sea lion had grown used to wind, and at first he did not pay much heed at all. Years of desert life had taught him to turn his back in the direction from which the wind came and cover his eyes with his flippers, so that the dust would not get in. Eventually, the winds would always pass. • But not this time. Day and night it came, howling across the barren lands. There was nothing to stop its fury, nothing to even slow it down. For forty days and forty nights the wind blew. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The sea lion lifted himself to have a look around. He could hardly believe his eyes. • Every single leaf had been stripped from his tree. The branches that remained, with only a twig or two upon them, looked like an old scarecrow. And I do not need to tell you there was no longer any shade in which to hide. But worse than this, much worse indeed, was what the sea lion saw next. The water hole was completely dry. • Three weeks after the wind ceased to blow, the sea lion had a dream. Now, as I told you before, there were other nights in which he had dreamed of the sea. But those were long ago and nearly forgotten. Even still, the ocean that filled his dreams this night was so beautiful and clear, so vast and deep, it was as if he were seeing it for the first time. The sunlight glittered on its surface, and as he dived, the waters all around him shone like an emerald. If he swam quite deep, it turned to jade, cool and dark and mysterious. But he was never frightened; not at all. For I must tell you that in all his dreams of the sea, he had never before found himself in the company of other sea lions. This night there were many, round about him, diving and turning, spinning and twirling. They were playing. • Oh, how he hated to wake from that wonderful dream. The tears running down his face were the first wet thing he had felt in three weeks. But he did not pause even to wipe them away; he did not pause, in fact, for anything at all. He set his face to the east, and he began to walk as best a sea lion can. • “Where are you going?” asked the tortoise. • “I am going to find the sea.” Proverbs 22:28 reads, “Remove not the ancient (continuous existence, perpetual) landmark (standard, boundaries – role models, fathers, mentors, leaders) which thy fathers have set.” And, Proverbs 23:10 says, “Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.” Prophetically speaking, these scriptures declare that fathers set boundaries such as faith in God, morality, standards of conduct, decency, and protection. These scriptures also warn against abandoning conventional, established ways that God established, that have worked for generations. Not long ago, fathers did set standards and maintain them. They created paths through wild and untamed places for their families. And, these “ways” worked! Have you ever seen a footpath? What happens when a footpath is no longer used? It literally gets lost due to neglect, abandonment, and rejection. Men will always have to travel the path of life, but increasingly today there’s no trail. What are we left to do? When asked this question, most men, almost in unison, say, “Cut our own path.” Oh, how far have we strayed?!!The dynamic between fathers and children is of cardinal significance. So much so, that God addresses this issue with the final verses of the Old Testament. He closes the Old Testament with an enormous reveal and promise. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (vs.6) And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Mal 4:5-6) To God be the glory! Here, literally in the last two verses of the Old Testament, God highlights the heart of mankind’s problem – the Father/son disconnect – and He graciously promises to restore this relationship. I have found that most men want to be good husbands and fathers, and love well. They just don’t know how, though. They’ve not had very good examples, so they haven’t been taught. Men, this may sound crass, but you’re called to be fathers by impregnating people (family, friends, society) primarily with the incorruptible seed of the Word of God (1Pe 1:23; Mt 28:19-20). Would you see godliness restored on this earth? In our families and homes? In our communities? In our nation? In the world? Stop just giving people your personal opinions, feelings, and experiences, and start giving people the Word of God. This is the solution! Reconnecting souls with the Father! Only when I gave my life to Christ did I begin to unlearn the mess and learn the message of my true identity, given to me by Father-God. He said He would be the Father to the fatherless (Ps 68:5). Happy Father’s Day! Celebrate God-The Father! – Subscribe – Make a Donation |
| Agree with us in Prayer: a. For the Brig/Prison: Pray for the restoration of the 90-minute bibles study. It was 90 minutes for over fifteen years, but was unexpectedly and unnecessarily cut back to 60 minutes a few months ago. These additional 30 minutes are crucial to restoration and discipleship of these confinees. Presently, about 90% of all inmates have begun attending again. Pray for all the souls (the leaders, the inmates, the guards, and their families). The battle for the souls of these men continues. I have a burden from the Lord for these souls in confinement. Join me in prayer for an increasing, godly stronghold over the prison population. Bind up demonic spirits of discord, hate, religion, bitterness, unforgiveness, shame, condemnation, laziness, indifference, procrastination, and pride. And loose a spirit of salvation, discipleship, forgiveness, humility, exposure, healing, deliverance, peace, restoration, unity, and cooperation! b. For continued increase at ZCDC (Churchplant). We continue to re-build. It’s the nature of ministry this far north on the island. Pray for the discipling and releasing of more laborers into the harvest here. Pray for our strength, wisdom, and resources as weekly we gather souls on Camp Schwab. We gather sheep and convert goats. Pray for mature, Qualified Families and Permanent Personnel to co-labor with us in this northern-most, remote area of Okinawa. c. For Zebulun Worship Team. Our lead singer, Matthew, is back and rebuilding the worship team. Pray for a spirit of praise to be released in our midst. d. For our Believers to walk in increased discernment, wisdom, maturity, power, and works, that they are properly discipled, and that they bear much Kingdom fruit, now! e. Pray against retaliatory, unclean spirits from On-Base and Off-Base. Bind up demonic spirits of control, division, envy, strife, competition, lust, and fear. And loose a spirit of unity, peace, love, maturity, discipleship, and faith among Believers. f. For our current schedule (finances, resources, wisdom, strategies, and strength): – Sun: Share/Report Christians In Action ministries – Mon: Radical & Relevant (R&R) @7pm – Wed: Brig Christian Fellowship (BCF) @7pm – Thu: Publish Think On These Things Newsletters – Thu: Publish YouTube Videos (Channel: YahwehHasASon) – Fri: Sexual Integrity & Restoration (SIR) @9am – Sat: Zebulun Christian Discipleship Center (ZCDC) @6pm – See Facebook Live Ministerial Videos – Make a Donation |
| Good times! In some ways, I was ready for children before Sandy. One day, my parent-clock went off and I woke up and basically told Sandy, “I want a baby, now!” (Lol) I was able to accompany Sandy to every doctor appointment and every ultra-sound. The first time I saw Arianna, I was so excited that I blurted out, “I just want to hold my baby.” The nurse just cried and said she’d never heard a Dad say that before. Watch short Video “Love is not a chore. It’s an opportunity.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnt5b5WvJiI) |
| In closing… Saints, thank you so much for your prayers. We covet them and greatly encouraged and empowered by them! Much Kingdom fruit is being harvested every week. I am so proud of these men and women who absorb the Word of God, apply it to their lives, and then share these godly-principles with other. Their faith really encourages me. As you know, we are deeply involved with the Father’s Business, here. As full-time missionaries, living in Japan is very taxing and expensive. As I mentioned last week, donations and support have been down this year. We could use your help. Please consider partnering with us in these ministries through your monetary donations and support. Financial gifts and contributions can be made online through Christians In Action. Or, you can mail contributions to the address listed below. I declare that by the grace of God you are what you are, and His grace toward you is not in vain! (1Cor 15:10) <*{{{{>< In His grip, Pastor Nick & Sandy Guerra Contributions can be sent to: Dominic Guerra (Acct# 426) c/o Christians In Action, Missions International PO Box 25093 Fresno, CA 93729 ▪ Please ensure Acct #426 is annotated on your contribution so the funds can be allocated correctly. ▪ Please share/forward these newsletters at your discretion. Make a Donation |
| — Our Mission & Vision — “Gather Sheep & Convert Goats!” “Catch, Clean, & Release!” |