The central fact of the universe is that

God is our FATHER!  

 Everything God created in this time space reality was created in order to provide an atmosphere in which He could have a family of sons and daughters. His desire for intimate, family relationship is the reason the cosmos exists.

We believe the greatest message God has given us to share and model at 'The River', is the message of our Father’s Love for us.   

 Everything about Jesus pointed to the Father. Everything Jesus said, was what He heard His Father speaking to Him. Everything He did was something He had seen His Father doing. It is our desire to follow Jesus' example and learn to live and grow in this reality.

Many Christians’ today function under a misconception of God as a mean or angry Father; more of a Judge than a loving Father - shaking his finger at them, always disappointed in them, waiting to judge them for their misdeeds. Jesus who was an ‘exact representation of the Father’, modeled a completely different image of the Father. He modeled a Father that ‘stands at the end of the driveway’ looking for His prodigal son! A Father who, when He saw that prodigal coming, ran to him, loving him and embracing him! A Father who immediately changed his son’s identity from that of a destitute, rebellious runaway, to a son with all the rights of family membership, by putting on him the family robe, putting the signet ring on his finger and shoes on his bare feet. A Father who was saddened that his other son, who had stayed and done all the right things, didn’t understand his Father’s love any more than the prodigal. One son expected to be rejected and judged, the other expected to have to earn and work for His father’s love. Neither of them knew the Father accurately. The Fathers love in that story was unconditional. It couldn’t be earned, by either child. And when Jesus taught this, He was saying, "This is what the kingdom of God is like."

Today, so many of us are living our lives like one of those brothers. Some of us feel that we have squandered our lives, our gifts and talents, and feel Father could never accept us. Others feel like we’ve been working and working to feel like we belong, or feel loved. Both are living as ORPHANS when we could be living as SONS. What we are missing, is the concept of the Father who stands, arms wide open, waiting to embrace relationship and intimacy with us that Christ has already made possible through His sacrifice. God longs to let us know, that we are no longer orphans, but sons and daughters, with all the rights and privileges of sons & daughters! He longs to break off the ‘failure’ tag, the ‘its too late, Father would never forgive and accept me’ lie. He longs to break off the aggressive striving to earn approval. He wants to LOVE us!

God’s love, not our achievements or anything we could acquire, is what will fill the void in our lives! Only when we see this and begin to walk in it, will our lives become centered, because we were created to function this way. There is no other way to happiness or fulfillment in life. So if we attain and acquire everything the world has to offer, or have nothing whatsoever, we can live a life of joy and fulfillment when we stay centered in the Fathers love for us. When we truly grasp His deep and intimate love for us, it will fill us up to such an extent, that it will be the most natural thing in the world to begin to show that same love to others. When we truly grasp how much we are loved, it will change what we do, and why we do it. Love is a greater motivator than fear. What is motivating you, at your job? In your home? In your relationships? Are you basing your self-worth, or value, on what others think of you, or on what you’re accomplishing, or on how your career is going? Would you still feel good about yourself, knowing that you are loved by God as a son or daughter, even if your didn’t get that promotion or raise at work? Or things weren’t going well at home, or at school? Do you know, that regardless of your situation or circumstances, that you are loved, truly loved by the Father, not for what you do, but because you are a son/daughter!?

The second great fact of the universe is: Father speaks! Jesus said he only did and said what He heard the Father tell him. When we are focused on the Father, and His voice, it frees us up to do ONLY what He wants us to do. It gets us off the treadmill of trying to please everyone, or living in fear and condemnation that we are not doing enough. We want to learn to do things out of hearts filled with a revelation of the Father’s love for us. We want to be motivated, not by people’s opinions of us, or by pressure to perform, but by His love! We want to learn to hear the Father’s voice and obey!

If you have questions about how YOU can feel like a son or daughter of God, please contact us, we’d love to talk with you. If you want to know more about the Father’s love, or need prayer, please contact us. If you have a story to share about your own encounter with the Father’s love, we’d love to hear it!

Blessings,

Alf and Pam Dyck
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