SPIRITUAL FATHERS by Pastor Mensa Otabil

well we're welcome to Chechen is good to have you in the house of God I trust that you've had a fabulous week in this Ghana amen we serve a God who is above every limitation of life I just to let you know that we are entering the zone we're entering the zone in this week and on Thursday we start 40 days of power so get ready it's going to be powerful and we start we're going to have a service here Thursday night I will be opening and launching the 40 days of power and you are all invited well you're not just invited you must be here I'm inviting as if you are strangers you must be here so first they were opening 40 days of power here well today is Father's Day and we want to take time to honor all the men and the women for the riot like the roles that they play in our lives it's not easy to be a man to be a man is very hard I know the women will say the same but I'm not a woman so I can only speak for men it's a tough job to be a man and to be a father in in this time fathers are protectors and providers and they come to us in different shapes and forms they come as parents they come as uncle's as brothers older brothers teachers stepfathers guardians spiritual fathers and mentors they come in different shapes but each one of us have benefited at one point or the other from a father figure could be your own biological father or it could be somebody else who stood in for you an uncle a cousin somebody in the church or somebody in the neighborhood who stood in for you and set an example for you and became an encouragement to you each one of us at some point in our lives have had somebody play that role and our fathers affect us in very profound ways for better or for worse first of all they transmit their genes to us and so at conception whether you like it or not your father passed on some substances to you some chromosomes that worked into your genes and predisposed do too many things to your height to certain habits you're going to have to the ship of your of your head the hair you have the eye color you have unfortunately sometimes some diseases that may affect you in the future all of these imparted by your father and so whether you like it or not they affect you genetically even if you hate them and sometimes you hate them but you look like them you know so father's affect us genetically and and they put their names on us and I'm not called audible because I chose to be audible because that's my father's name and my children were co-wrote about you know they had no choice in that father's give us their names and we carry their names whatever that name means whether it means somebody who must be beaten or somebody who must be encouraged but we carry their names some people don't carry their father's name because the man probably didn't take responsibility for them so their mothers named them differently but for those who carry their father's name and for those men who give their names to children it's an awesome responsibility to put your name on somebody it carries everything that the person Oh everything that you have the father's influence the homes that we live in they become my examples they determine the outcomes of our lives in a very very profound ways people have wondered why you know mothers sometimes get a good deal better than the fathers when it's Mother's Day the whole world stops when is Father's Day it's almost as if there's a comma and after that you know everybody moves on fathers don't get to be appreciated very much sometimes their role is not appreciated and and there are several reasons but I think generally we men have a head start or mothers have a head start over fathers they have an advantage it's wet into the biology and a woman becomes pregnant man men don't become pregnant and and for when a woman becomes pregnant instantly they become aware that a child is developing inside them so at a very early age in that process they become aware of dispersing inside them they get up in the morning they are vomiting of not dependent on their constitution and all kinds of things are happening they're feeling hot and their body is expanding all of these changes make them aware something is happening inside them as the child grows they feel his presence or her presence the kicking they put their hands on the tummy sometimes pray for the child and all of that now this goes on for nine months and so she is Prairie much aware of this child and the man is not aware he may watch it but doesn't feel it so you find that the bonding of women to their children starts very early and is deeper and the man and then the whole process of Beth goes through a painful process that we men don't forget and just the pain itself makes you value the child and then you start with breast feeding all of that is bonding and remember all of this that is are not talking to you women I'm talking to men [Applause] now all of this is going on without the man now it's not the man's fault that he didn't get pregnant it's not his fault that he can't breastfeed is just that that is how he is so by the time the man comes into the life of the church so of the of the child so much has already happened and then when he starts to take interest in the child the mother is also always pulling the child to herself pulling the child pulling the child so it's not for nothing that women bond with their children better than men it's not the man's fault it's just the way God shipped us men's rose take place later they now have to seek to provide for the child and protect the child but all of this comes later and sometimes the adjustment a man has to make to be a good father it's a very difficult adjustment and I just want to encourage the women please help your husbands to get close to the children and please don't draw them too much to yourself that you have husbands feel like outsiders because it is already difficult that we are coming in last after all those nine months that you have had to born we are now trying to come in to know this child and feel his presence and and and get to know him and sometimes some men do it well others don't do it well and and detached from their children they don't become responsible and so on so forth but please don't blame them too hard it's biology it's biology does that mean we should just be irresponsible no that's not what I'm saying I'm just trying to explain why sometimes it's difficult for the man to be as close to their children as the women are because there is a process that makes the women bond better however no matter what it is this is what life is and when we come into life as men we know that one day by God's grace we will be fathers and and we have to play our role and so today I'm going to talk about that and and so you remember when I was it was Mother's Day I spoke I spoke about spiritual mothers and so today just to balance the equation I'm also talking about spiritual fathers so you know the women will not say I cheated them the men will not say I cheated them they're all spiritual and when I spoke about the the women I gave four examples of spiritual mothers and I'm going to give four examples of spiritual fathers just I'm a fair pastor I just gave four four everybody gets the update so we're going to go into the scripture and see some example of fathers in the Bible and the lessons we can learn from them the first we want to look at today is a very obvious choice and that is Abraham Abraham is a father he's of his father whose faith as an example so Abraham is an example of a father's faith Christian father's must influence the faith of their children we must influence the faith of our children and Abraham tells us how to do that Romans chapter 4 from verse 13 to 21 is an account of Abraham's faith now much of Abraham's life as you know happen in the book of Genesis but Romans gives us a perspective on him and the role of his faith Romans chapter 4 verse 13 to 21 I will not read from verse 13 I will start reading from verse 17 as it is written I have made you a father of many nations in the presence of him whom he believed God who gives life to the dead and cause those things which do not as this as though they did who contrary to hope in hope believe that he might become the father of many nations according to what was spoken so shall descend and not being weak in faith he did not consider his own body already dead since he was about a hundred years old and the deadness of Sarah's womb he did not waver at a promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was able to perform a few things to learn about Abraham first is that he lived out his faith publicly Abraham's walk with God was public all the people around him saw his walk with God his wife saw it his nephew lot saw it his seven saw it they saw his faith out there if we're going to be Christian fathers one of the things we have to do is to let our faith be seen our faith must be public you can say well I worship God in my heart and it's a private matter know if you're a father and you're a Christian your faith must be demonstrated your faith must be publicly seen Abraham's faith was publicly seen he demonstrated it that they saw him make sacrifices they saw him walk with God they saw him obey God he narrated to them what God had taught him he narrated his encounters with God even with his sevens Abraham lived out his faith publicly as a matter of fact it was for this reason that God chose Abraham because he says Abraham can be trusted to teach others what he has learned Abraham lived out his faith publicly father's live out your faith publicly let your children see it let your nephew see it let your cousin see it let people around you see that you are for Christ Jesus live out your faith publicly the second thing about Abraham is that he warned over his own Ruggles he won over the battles of his struggles Abraham had battles to fight he had a fight when God called Abraham he promised him that he was going to have a child Abraham spent almost all his life waiting for that promise to become real and for years and years and years he fought that battle of faith and the Bible says he didn't waver he didn't relent he trusted God but that was a battle how the promise was going to be fulfilled seemed to be impossible because he kept growing older and older and older and older and older still struggling to get a child not just any child but a child from Sarah he tried to get a child from Hagar God says that's not it it's going to come from Sarah and he has he watched Sarah Sarah was getting older and older the Bible says her womb was dead that is not a fully biological description but it just means that she didn't seem to have the capacity to have a child Abraham himself was old the deadness of his own body everything practical showed he couldn't win this battle but he had to stay to win the battle now as men each one of us have battles to fight for Abraham it was for a child for you the battle you are fighting as a man as a father may not be for a child it may be a battle to win over alcoholism you drink and you need to conquer alcoholism and sometimes it looks like oh you've conquered it and then you go back to and for years you're stuck with that problem for some people the battle they have to fight is not just a battle for child for each other for against adultery because they are just messing up and they need to fight that battle and win it because if you don't win your battles your children are gonna fight those battles if you don't win your battles your children are gonna come and fight what you should have won instead of standing on victory ground they stand on the losing ground and Abraham says I gotta make sure that my child of promise is born so that my descendants and God's purposes are fulfilled in my life I'm here to challenge every man here you have to fight your battles and you have to win your battles you have to win those battles for some of you that battle against gambling some is a battle against polygamy because everybody in your family has children from different sources from your grandfather to your father to uncles everybody nobody has one sure one set of children from only one woman it has become a battle you must win and you must win it so that the descendants coming after you will not fight that battle and that was Abraham's challenge so even when he was 99 years old he had to continue fighting because if I don't win this battle Isaac will not be born if Isaac is not born Jacob or not be born if Jacob is not born there's no Israel if is there's no Israel that's not David if there's no David there's no Jesus I have to win this battle because sometimes the battle seems to be personal to you but it's not personal it is destiny so much is tied into you winning that battle and I just want to encourage you some of you need to win a battle over alcohol and maybe you've tried and tried and you don't seem to be winning it but don't give up the fight you have to fight until you can win that battle don't go to your grave with your problems still hanging on your head for some is a battle of poverty you have to win the battle of poverty poverty has been chasing you for too long and as a man as a father you must win it for your children every African one way or the other is fight in a battle of poverty every one of us every one because we we poverty is very close to us if you go to almost every even the richest African today go three generations you end up in a village poor because we haven't come out from village for long if you are not you are not in the village your father was if your father was not your grandfather was if your grandfather is not your great grand fir by the time you go to the third and fourth generation we are all in a heart somewhere so each one of us is trying to carve out a better life for our future and for our children and for some of us the struggle is hard you start this it doesn't work you start a job it doesn't work you get fired from your job you try to start a business and it collapses and you look at life and you say it's too hard my friend that's life it's hard but it's doable and if you have mine you don't give up and say it's hard I was going to say that women can say that but these days you can say all of these things that were main concern but I'll say though the women can say well life is too hard fine but a man cannot give up a man cannot say life is too hard because you are the protector of the family you must win your battle every man here said I will win my battles whatever that battle is you have to win it Abraham had to win his battles so that Isaac can be born he won over his battles and he left a legacy of faith for us to follow fathers our legacy givers our children and others who look up to us use our victories as the platform on which they rise to their own destiny today Abraham's victory is the platform for me so that when life is hard I can say look at Abraham he fought and won his battle it's now my legacy he is my father the Bible calls him the father of faith do you know the number of people who depend on your victory all the men listen to me do you know the number of people who depend on your victory you may not even see them you may not know them they may not even have been born when Abraham was struggling I wasn't born but thousands of years later his victory is essential for me what if he had lost you have no idea who depends on you not just your children but so many people even those yet to be born are waiting for you to succeed in order for them to come into this world if you fail they will not come into this world if you fail they would not have an opportunity if you fail life will not be good for them look at all the people who had to win the battles of life for us to have the life that we have so they can leave a legacy for us Abraham tells us that we can be fathers of faith and we can fight and we can overcome our battles and we can leave a legacy for others to follow the second father we want to look at quite an obvious one is Joseph let's foster father of Jesus he talks he represents a father's protection father's are protectors although sometimes some threaten their own families but fathers are protectors a father's protection is a source of great comfort Matthew chapter 2 from verse 13 to 15 now when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise take the young child and his mother flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word for Herod will see the young child to destroy him and when he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there unto the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophecy in out of Egypt I called my son Joseph learn to partner with God for God's will to be done he's yielded his life to God he chose to side with God Joseph was God's partner he had from God to protect the child it's amazing when you read the Gospels to know that both Mary and Joseph had from God Mary had from God to tell her she is going to have the child Jesus but when the child was in danger God didn't speak to Mary he spoke to Joseph both are hearing from God but they have different assignments Mary is bringing the child into the world Joseph is making sure this child doesn't die that's a protector when your father you become a partner with God to protect your children to keep them safe and to ensure that their destinies are not aborted that they become the men and women that God has called them to be may God give you the strength to be a Joseph for your children not to be destroyed before their time Joseph partnered with God many times we only see Mary as the one who partnered with God and who said Lord according to your word let it be done to me but Joseph also partnered with God he worked with God Joseph protected his family's honor Joseph is described as a just man who did not want to disgrace his wife he understood the impact of repetitions he knew the value of preserving honor he was a father who was ready to forego his own honor so that his wives honor and that of a child could be protected Mary is found with child the Bible says Joseph being a just man did not want to disgrace her she says I'm going to protect this girl I'm gonna protect her name I'm gonna make sure people don't mistreat her even if I'm not gonna marry her I will not destroy her I'm protecting her and the child she's carrying he's a protector of dignity not just a physical protector but protector of dignity and that is a charge for us as men that we must protect the honor of our families and especially for those of us who are married we must protect the honor of our wives you must protect the honor of your wives and you must protect them even if you are not happy with them it is not right for a man to negatively talk about his wife to anybody especially to complain to another woman about how bad your wife is and how she doesn't cook for you well and how she doesn't help me well and how my life is over trouble of all the women in the world that's one of the one you choose it's a manifestation of your wisdom they're men who complain about their wife's food I'm not saying a wife she didn't cook well you know but you have to eat what's on the table that's what marriage is all about when you say I do it means out eat you eat what's on the table years ago I was talking to a man who was complain about his wife and he was livid he's a bastard do you can you believe it I go and work hard I work out in the hood the whole day and I come home and can you imagine past I'm telling you I can imagine jollof rice and skew rice and stew pasta is a how to treat a man now you can imagine the tribe is from you know rice and stew and I say what's right what's wrong with Reza's is a pasta how can I come after a hard day's work and eat rice sense too you know for those of you who are not Ghanaians there are certain people in Ghana the only one element is food all others do not qualify and I'm not going to go into details so he's hungry food is no there's no food I'm the man I must get the right carbohydrates yeah you may not like what she cooks for you but should you tell somebody else yeah you may not like her her behavior but should you go and disgrace her Joseph says I'm not gonna disgrace this girl I'm gonna marry her she's rich out at this point I don't know why it's from but I won't disgrace her until an angel spoke to her and says it's okay this is God but his original intention even when he didn't know it was God was I will not disgrace her its honor its dignity and we have to learn to honor the women that God gives to us I know sometimes as a man is difficult because we've had bad examples as fathers for so long that mistreating women comes naturally to us but Joseph says I'm not gonna do that he's an ancient man you can say where me there were no human rights then there was no feminine the end of but common sense is common sense and good heart is good heart you don't need laws to be a good person he says I'm not going to I'm going to treat her well and I'm going to treat the child she brings into marriage well because sometimes you married women and they bring a child into the marriage that's what Mary did she brought a child into the marriage now all of us now spiritual eyes the son of God and so and so for but if you look at it from a natural point of view it starts it wasn't easy but she said he says I'm gonna take care of this boy like mine I'm a carpenter I'm going to teach him to be a carpenter too that's the best I can do and I'm gonna make sure that this boy is protected and his mom is protected I don't understand everything going on now but I respect this woman I love her and I protect her that is a man's job you don't go disgracing your wife now I'm not a perfect man I'm not perfect in any way I've been married for for 32 years and I have never ever ever complain about my wife to anybody [Applause] not even to our children I don't go and said you knew your mum your mom is like no no no if your Joseph you protect your Mary you may not understand everything but you protect her that's part of being a man being a father you can just love the children you must love the woman who suffered for those children to be born and you must love her through all the changing seasons of life whatever that means and Joseph protected his son Jesus from destruction when the angel spoke to him and say hey there is danger he protected Jesus father's when there are warning signals about your son take it seriously Joseph acted with urgency woke up the next morning to the family out protected his wife and son until a safe period now sometimes as far as we see warning signals but we don't take them seriously somebody comes and tells you something about your child or your son is doing this your daughter is doing that and sometimes we rush to defend our children is good to defend your children but be very careful that you don't avoid or you don't ignore a warning signal because bad behavior in later life always shows up in warning somebody says yo yo your son or your daughter insulted me in public don't just jump to your son's defense because that says this respect is beginning to manifest itself take the warning signal as well fathers take it well doesn't mean you go in as our fathers used to do every that you come from out outside and they had that you've disrespected somebody they don't even want to hear what you have to say you just come to the hey come come come come gives you the license you super pop what happened what happened please I didn't do anything you didn't do anything come again tell me the truth is it true sir do you give us chance but we are better fathers than our fathers we have better father than our fathers they didn't know any better they our fathers were different fathers and and and they didn't know any better but we know better and after you know better you don't have an excuse to be like your father if he was a bad father because he didn't know any better but you know any better because your pasta is co-pastor Mensa o table and you know better you know better you know better I've been teaching these dangers that I never had I've said it I've said it I've said you've had you have to be better I have to be better joseph protected his son from destruction third father Elijah he represents a father who imparts ability gifts grace to his children his stories in 2nd Kings chapter 2 verse 9 to 15 and I'm not going to read it Elijah poured what he had into Elijah he spent 20 years training guiding mentoring Elijah took him along encouraged him a father must impart what they know to their children if you don't have biological children impart what you know to somebody as Joseph imparted his skills to Jesus although that was not a biological son Elijah in part of what he knew - Elijah although that's not a biological son he poured what he had into Elijah we must be fathers who impart what we have to our children he allowed Elijah to dream big one of the most audacious verses in Scripture is when Elijah as Elijah for a double portion of the spirit that was in him how you going to behave if your son comes and says I'm going to be greater than you I must say for the record that the fathers of today are very different from the fathers of yesterday the fathers of maybe 60 years ago and so on didn't take it easy for their children to want to be better they saw it as arrogance they saw it as prey Elijah says I want a double portion of what you have that's a bold and audacious demand but Elijah didn't get offended but this goes beyond birth fathers it also goes to people who are leaders that we must be comfortable for people who are coming after us to be greater than us definitely I won the next general overseer of icgc to be far greater than I am and to do far more than I've ever done because 50 60 years down the line I don't want people to talk to the generation of pastors of ICGC answer Oh in the days of audible things were powerful and things were great now I want them to be able to say oh I wish audible and this generation will be alive today to see what you are doing [Applause] [Music] we cannot be a generation that praises the past without any future that's a battle of diminishing returns we can be initially for example in Ghana where we praise the past all Kwame Nkrumah was great and then we cannot say the same of anybody else we should be able to say in chroma was great the Nationals greater nation was greater than s was greater Ness was greater and we have better leadership now than before because that is their only way we make progress it's when one generation becomes greater than the previous one Elijah says I want a double portion of what is on you I wish that young men and women in this house will say I want to be ten times greater than past erodible in whatever way that ten times interprets because when we grow old we want to look back and see people doing what we couldn't do and people going where we couldn't go and achieving what we couldn't achieve that is the greatest way to honor anybody to do better than them and that's what Elijah said I want a double portion of what you have listened to me no matter what you have if you are head usher and somebody says I want to be a greater or shy than you don't be angry if your head intercessor and somebody says I want a greater ministry than you don't be angry if you are the head of worship and someone says I want to be better than you don't be angry if in fact there was a pastor who told me that he didn't want to be greater than me he's actually greater than me now I know that kinds of things people tell us he sat in front of mine directly and said he said that ours is John the Baptist he's Jesus I'm John the Baptist I said oh wow I didn't know that Elijah Elijah didn't get offended because somebody wanted to be greater than him he showed Elijah how to achieve greatness he says okay you want to have a double portion these are the rules listen to me if you want to be greater than me that's good but it's not going to come on a silver platter it's not going to come by saying it it's going to come by paying double the price I have paid because if you see me standing here I didn't just materialize it you're just there wonderful you know people's up there people who look at all these funds they have thousands as if thousands were born with us who they're just then thousands came now I used to be a village preacher I said going villages I used to walk in the rain the Sun preaching interceding walking traveling all over preaching you were not there you didn't see it but now you see a very refined every diet eloquent eloquent preacher I saw I want to be like pastor author but I want to be able to be expressive and I want to speak English so beautifully and I want to be able to do that go to the village because what you see in manifestation was birthed from a place and that's why Elijah had to take Elijah to the places he had been to he says if you want a double posture you have to go learn to be in Bethel you have to be in Gilgal they have to be in Jordan you have to go through this process then you get to where the double portion is it's good to dream big sons and daughters but you have to work for the big dream don't talk it pay the price for it work hard for it if you know what it is to be where some of us are you would see that just the owner so-called is nothing compared to the pressure pressure on the pressure pressure you have to learn to handle pressure and stand still I will never forget years ago I was preaching in order and it was in the evening that rain and the way flying ants insects all around and for some reason a demon-possessed and just before I started preaching went into my clothes I was wearing three-piece and this thing decided the Lord has blessed it with full meal and started chomping and biting me at a point I thought oh and many of them it was going up and down by turnback and going to all biting biting pat and i started preaching and this thing is biting me and everything in my head says cut the preachy shot I said I'm not gonna kind of preaching shudder an ant is not going to stop me from doing my job I stayed I preached I laid hands on people and suffered through for over one and a half hours that's called pressure everybody's always anointed but he something is biting and after I finished preaching shake people's hands you know how everybody comes to see faster and everything you know and and still suffer through it and I am I was free I would look for it all I killed that in I killed it with pleasure but I'm just telling you this now you may see it as honor but pressure is what produces great worth diamonds are produced out of pressure nothing good comes by just saying oh I will be great oh I'll be well so yes you are Elijah you want a double portion but you have to learn to go through what Elijah went through and you have to go through a double to get a double portion the disciples of Jesus mother of disciples one James and John Jesus you know I want James II I want John here in your kingdom Jesus fine fine you want it fine but you have to drink the cup now you have to be baptized with the baptism in other words you have to go through what I go through to sit where I sit it's good to dream and father's listen don't make life too easy for your children that they fail to pay the price for their own greatness these days there are too many that about children all around they have to learn to pay the price otherwise your children would never get to the heights you go to life always favors the struggler life always favors don't ever forget that life always favors the struggler the one who struggles the one who is we've got here through struggle if I children don't struggle they won't get to where we are and those who struggle will get there life always favors the struggle last father last father fill it fill it a father's influence Philip is in the New Testament he was one of the early deacons of the New Testament church he shows us that father's must not lose their families while gaining the world Acts chapter 21 from verse 7 to 9 and when we had finished our voyage from tyre we came to Tala my's greeted the Brethren and stayed with them one day on the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the Evangelist who was one of the seven and stayed with him now this man had four daughters who four virgin daughters who prophesied I want you to note that verse nine for virgin daughters who prophesy Philip is a very interesting person he touched a city with the power of God in Acts chapter 8 from verse 5 to 8 he went to Samaria preached Christ to them multitudes listened to him unclean spirits came out crying revival salvation a whole city Samaria turned to Jesus because of Philip that's a powerful man who is able to turn a city round from there he was by the Spirit of God to go to the desert to meet a strategic influenza for Christ and he led that person to Christ theythey opie an eunuch in Acts chapter 8 from verse 26 to verse 30 if you look at Philip you'd say wow what an achiever he's out there leading a city to Christ he's out there leading a major political leader to Christ which eventually took the gospel to a whole continent in Africa Ethiopia you know that's great he's a world changer he's a world influenza he's a world shaker a mover and a shaker if you saw Philip you'd say what a man what a man what a man but I feel that the greatest thing said about Philip is what we read in verse 9 of Acts of the Apostles chapter 21 he had four virgin daughters who prophesied Philips children were morally and spiritually sound the most critical testimony that in winning the world he didn't lose his family because sometimes fathers worked so hard to win the world and lose their own families he won Samaria he won public officials but his children never lost it they were virgins that talks about morality and they prophesied that spirituality they were morally and spiritually upright that's my word to every father don't be so busy losing winning the well that you lose your family don't work so hard to get everybody that you lose your own children I tell my children I appreciate everything you do your education your accolades you know to go to events and see you graduate and collect prizes or be honored and so and so forth to see you work and do well and all of that but the greatest thing that will give me joy is not that is it's that you are Christians that you live for Christ that's all I want the rest is upon us because what would be the profit that I am known all over the world everybody's all he's a great preacher and my own children don't believe in what I believe in don't believe in that God I preach don't believe in their Jesus I talk about and their lives are totally opposite everything I preach that would be a pain to me Phillip somehow managed it perfectly big public ministry good private ministry don't be so bent on making it big that you lose your family I know children have their own mind and sometimes they will do great crazy things that will make parents get shocked and no parent can guarantee a child's life nobody can do that but all I'm saying is this don't be so focused on the world that you forget a home for every man here who desires to be great and do something significant that will be my prayer for you on this Father's Day that you'll be a great achiever you'll be a world changer you'll be a mover in the world the world will hear of you you would move cities you move people you would touch nations by your gift by your products by your abilities by yours your services that after you have done all of that you can look at your family and say oh thank God for my children they didn't abandon my god they worship my god they are morally upright they are spiritually strong that should be your testimony as a man [Applause] [Music] now I know it's difficult I know it's tough I've raised four children I know children have a mind of their own children have a mind of their own when they're growing up they always want to flex their space and expand the airspace and expand their liberties and you trust God to help them to stay on track it's only when they grabbed it I saw daddy we're so happy for the way you brought us up I mean where they were fighting you throughout but God has spects us not just to win the world but we must win the home too we must win the home front Philip is a good example he won the world and won the home and I pray that every man here go to give you the grace to be like Abraham you will win your battles whatever the battle is whether it's for a child whether it's against poverty it's a health challenge you are fighting you win it and don't give up until you win that battle and don't so it's time I've struggled for too long Abraham didn't waver he stayed to the end he will stay to the end and you win that battle and I pray that if whatever God gives you as a family you'll be a protector of the family another one who scatters their family another one who allows the enemy to attack and dissipate and destroy your family your children will be protected your wife will be protected your heart will be protected because you are there because you are there because you are anointed to protect and I pray that God will make you like Elijah that in you your children will be greater than you that would do double what you have done they will go places you have never gone to we'll achieve what you could never achieve may your children be greater than you may your children achieve more than you may your children rise the heights you have never risen I've seen some women rising up to receive the proud God bless you to receive God's blessing and I pray you be life filling that after all is said and done and the world is clapping for you and praising you your home will be intact your home will be safe your home will be righteous your home will be an example of Christ may the Lord bless you on this Father's Day may he teach you to be a father may he instruct you may he order your steps may he guides you may he direct you even when you have made mistakes may he forgive you and give you another chance to make it right your past mistakes will not sabotage your promise you will not become a prisoner of your mistakes you will rise above your mistakes and you will set an example Abraham rose above his mistakes you will rise above your mistakes in the name of Jesus may the Lord costs every man here to be a true father after his heart in jesus name amen and amen give God praise somebody

Channel: Christ Temple

Views: 40,174

Rating: 4.8248849 out of 5

Keywords: Mensa Otabil, Christ Temple, Greater Works, ICGC, International Central Gospel Church, Matthew Ashimolowo, Tudor Bismark, Mike Okonkwo, #GW2018

Id: -NOYsAYtk0M

Length: 56min 46sec (3406 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 17 2019