NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2007
VERSE OF THE MONTH:
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms aaround him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 (NIV)
IN THIS EDITION:
Coming Home
The Lost Children
The Father’s House
COMING HOME
A few weeks ago we helped David and Heather Johnson (Simply His) in Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland with their conference “Homecoming”. It was wonderful to see people’s hearts coming home to the heart of the Father. More recently I was in Croatia and again we shared about how our hearts can come home to our Father.
The Father’s longing is for us to be walking in intimate relationship with Him. He desires that we become more than servants and become sons and the inheritors of His kingdom. He simply wants to be with us!
In recent weeks we have seen the pain of a family searching for their lost daughter. The desperation and the heartache has been evident for us all to see. As I watch this on our television screen, I think again of the Father’s broken heart for all of His children who have not returned home.
The father in the prodigal son story watches day after day, waiting for his son to appear. There must have been many disappointments and many nights when the father would have gone to bed without his son having returned home. Through all the waiting he never loses hope.
Then one day, over the horizon, he sees his son returning home. Imagine the unspeakable pleasure and delight as he runs towards his son, flings his arms around him and kisses him. The father barely waits for his son to deliver his prepared speech; he interrupts and calls for the best robes to be brought and a feast prepared.
All of us can come home. We can all live in the Father’s house. Yet too many of us have orphan hearts that stop us receiving the true inheritance of sons. We are too used to trying to earn our place at the table or we are like the older brother and feel we have to slave continually for our Father.
When we are not at home our hearts are not at peace. They are unsettled and constantly moving on to the next thing. An unsettled heart is easily agitated and fearful. But a heart that has found its home is at rest and at peace. It can settle and be at ease with itself. If your heart is not at peace then ask yourself whether it has come back home to the Father’s love.
An orphan heart is an empty heart, one that does not know the Father’s love. Like the younger son we have to turn and start the journey back to the Father. He is watching and waiting for you to come home.
You may want to read the Father’s Love Letter: www.afathertoyou.com/signposts/fll_text.html ( Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2006 www.FathersLoveLetter.com)
THE LOST CHILDREN
The plight of the McCann family has caught our hearts; please keep praying for Gerry and Kate McCann and their children as they search for Madeleine. They, and many other families bear the daily heartache of not knowing where their child is. Pray for them all to be comforted and for them to continue draw strength and grace from our Heavenly Father. If you are travelling, why not take a poster to display at your destination – see www.findmadeleine.com.
THE FATHER’S HOUSE
Last month the newsletter was about the Father’s House – in the next week or so a new website is being launched which is a series of meditations on the Father’s House. The first one is based on Psalm 84 – please make a note to visit this site soon! www.thefathershouse.org.uk
EVENTS
The events page will be updated shortly so please return to the website and look for events in the UK near you. For international events look at the relevant website of the speaker – see the Signposts section of the website: www.afathertoyou.com/signposts/index.html
In His Love
Mark Gyde |
