Family

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. [Ephesians 3]

Me:
Good afternoon Father!

ABBA:

Good afternoon Jon!

Me:

When I first read through this, I wondered about the existence of families in heaven and how it is that a family on earth derives its name from You. Then I realized this is not about some mystical connection, but about Your having created us. We would not even exist except for you! Plus, You designed our genetic make-up and our ability to procreate so that generation by generation one is derived from the parent’s stock, giving each his unique traits and giving genealogists mysteries to solve as to how our families are most recently connected. Sometimes we get used to calling You Father in a matter-of-fact way and lose sight of the fact that You are in Truth the ultimate Father of all.

ABBA:

Loosing sight of this fact is one thing that allows the enemy to nurture the lies that engender “we and they” divisions. The separations that have ensued are mere family estrangements; strongholds that have gained footing upon having forgotten who I Am. This alienation has been has been metastasizing (Exodus 20:5) since Adam pointed to Eve, calling her “the woman whom You gave to be with me” and shirking his own blame (Genesis 3:12) as though he could make his choice to disobey My fault. He was mouthing the opinions first born in the heart of Lucifer, giving place to lies about My motivations that completely missed the fact that I gave Adam perfect access life in Me. This was Life, which by My very nature withheld no good thing. It wasn’t long before this corruption passed down to Cain and erupted in anger toward his brother Able.

Me:

This makes me think of my own brother, who has fairly recently tried to cast me in a verbal spew as the son on our stepmother (whom he hates) while intimating he himself was the son of our natural mother and therefore right to despise me. This is kind of odd, given that we were both grown when dad remarried.

ABBA:

“Verbal spew” about the heritage of another does not originate from a good place. In fact, it is just another facet of the confusion that proceeds from a lack of understanding that I Am the Father of all. Dehumanization is a term that refers to the mental gyrations one goes through to rationalize carrying out the hatred of Satan against others who, in the absence of such machinations, would otherwise be recognized to be just like oneself. This process requires (willful) ignorance of the fact that I Am the Father of all (Ephesians 4:6). Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. The authority he has to do these things is exactly the authority that he is able to trick My children into giving him. They are easily deceived because they do not know My Word.

Matthew 5:3 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Have you wondered at the fact that I send the rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous? None can persist except I provide their needs. If I provided for only those who love Me, the ones who do not would quickly recognize they had no choice. I cause the sun to rise on the evil and the good that those who choose Me may do so of their own volition. They therefore love me freely. I desire it no other way. I love, whether My love is reciprocated or not. I Am love. Love is My nature. This is your calling, for You are made in My image, as are all My children. Even the ones who do not choose to act like it.

Me:

Thank You Father! I love You!

ABBA:

You are welcome! I love you!