Fulfilling Your Design!

In the book of Genesis we find the story of the creation. Where God set out and brought an entire universe into existence. Everything was created with a particular purpose and was designed in specific detail for that purpose. The tree was designed for shelter, oxygen, and to produce fruit for food. We see in the New Testament that when a tree does not fulfill its designed purpose it is cut away or in the case of the fig tree in Matthew Chapter 21, cursed. The moon served its purpose by holding things in balance, keeping the waves within the boundaries of the ocean, all through its gravitational pull on the earth. Yes everything has a purpose and its design is in direct correspondence to its purpose.

Let us look at the greatest of designs and investigate its purpose in minor detail. We want to visit this topic long enough to find the connection between mans design and his failure or success in fulfilling that design. We will find that we can make a direct correlation between man walking in the fullness of his design and purpose and his success and the success of those in his periphery as well.

Gen 1:26,  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

We find that man was created in the image and likeness of God.

The word translated image here is the Hebrew “tselem”

tseh'-lem

From an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, that is, (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence a representative figure, especially an idol: - image, vain shew.

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

The word translated likeness is the Hebrew “d’muth”

H1823

דּמוּת

d^emûth

dem-ooth'

From H1819; resemblance; concretely model, shape; adverbially like: - fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

Both words denote resemblance to God, the conception of man in resemblance to God, silent in its expression or loudly proclaimed, is the undercurrent of all revelation. In Genesis 9:6 we see it given as the reason for prohibiting murder. In Colossians 3:10 is speaks of our regeneration. Therefore image and likeness refer to man being created as an expression of the essence of God. We see first of all that man was made in the image of God as a representation of God here on earth. So then our imagery is that of a shadow of divinity. This is the design, but we must search further to find the purpose. Remember that the design works in direct correlation to the purpose.

Gen 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

The first thing man is commanded to do is be fruitful and multiply. The words fruitful and multiply are words of redundancy stressing extreme relevance. Both words carry the connotation of bringing an increase. In this instance God is speaking of the propagation of the human race through natural reproduction. Please notice that God does not give them a choice, but requires it of them. So the first purpose of man is to reproduce to set forth offspring. As we have seen in previous articles, the fulfillment of this obligation comes with subsequent requirements and responsibilities.

Following the command to reproduce is the command to subdue the earth, take dominion over it. Man is given the responsibility to rule over every living thing. This speaks to his dominion. Subdue is to take control over. The key word is control. I will make my point momentarily.

So, from this one verse, we can see that man was designed with the purpose of reproducing as well as having dominion over every living thing. However, there is more.

Gen 1:29  Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Gen 1:30  and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

Gen 1:31  God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

God said to his human creation, I have given everything that I have created to be placed under you. Basically what he is saying to Adam here is that I have given you absolute authority over everything. I have designed you to function optimally for the sake of fulfilling your purpose. There is nothing that I am requiring of you that I have not designed you to do. Unfortunately, we all know the story. God gave Adam and eventually Ishah (the woman, she was not called Eve until after the fall) one simple negative command:

Gen 2:16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

Gen 2:17  but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Now we have to be careful in analyzing this portion of scripture, we see that Adam is given the command before the woman is created, so one might assume that she did not know, but we see that she has knowledge of this command when she is engaged by the craftiness and subtleness of Satan. She either learned of this command by the teaching of her husband, or she learned as God taught them in the cool of the day. When speaking with Satan she embellishes the command when she says that they were told not to touch it. It adding to the Word she was dishonest, however since the only negative command was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, embellishment here is not the issue.

From a preliminary examination of the aforementioned passages we glean quite a bit. Man was designed to reproduce, subdue, and rule. He was created to have dominion over all that God had created before him. He had named every living creature displaying authority over it. Yet, in one moment of weakness, it was all taken away. Adam not the woman, failed in his responsibility to rule in his dominion. He was the first to fail in his design, but there is more to the design by implication. We must look a little deeper in scripture to search out the full function of the design.

The key is in the original passage of scripture we viewed:

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

We were made in the likeness and image of God. We said earlier that image and likeness connotes a resemblance and expression of the essence of God. We are the representation of God to the World. Based on the word order, we can say that man’s greatest purpose is the representation of God before the world. When the world looks at the Christian man, they should see a man whose words and actions properly portray the essence of God.

We know that God is love:

Zep 3:17  "The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

Rom 8:38  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

Rom 8:39  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Jn 4:8  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

So then when the man of God is observed those observing him should see the expression of God’s Love through Him. They should see love in the way that he treats his wife. They should see love in the way that he treats his children, they should see love in the way he engages fellow believers. They should even see love in the way that he engages sinners.

This love is not a love in the sense that most of us see love, but love that is unconditional and unwavering. God is not capricious in His love toward man. His love is not affected by our actions. God’s love is subjective, which means that His love is dependent upon who He is and not who he loves. Because God is love, he embodies its true meaning. I believe that there is no better scriptural passage than 1 Corinthians 13 to bring clarity to love in its truest form.

1Co 13:1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1Co 13:2  If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

1Co 13:4  Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

1Co 13:5  does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

1Co 13:6  does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

1Co 13:7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1Co 13:8  Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

1Co 13:9  For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

1Co 13:10  but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

1Co 13:12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

1Co 13:13  But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Paul tells us that all of the spiritual gifts, including tongues (so highly regarded by the Corinthian people) and prophecy paled in comparison to Love. He said that when prophecy ceased, love would still prevail. He gave instance of the virtuosity of love.

 Love calls for one to exude patience in dealing with others, even when they are wrong. It requires one to forgive when the deepest part of them desires to hold on to hurt. Love demands that we relinquish the natural proclivity to put ourselves first. Love believes in others when all have forsaken them. Love bears the failures of another with patience and gentleness. Love declares nothing will break the bond that has been established.

So when the world sees a man of God, they should see one that exemplifies the love of God. This is a part of the design. How many of us are living up to the design? We cannot aptly address IFS until we address this failure to fulfill the design. Let’s make sure that we understand that there is not a failure in the design, but a failure in fulfilling it. The design has become flawed by the sin nature, but that issue was rectified at Calvary. So, once again; there can be no excuses.

Another major characteristic of God is his incessant faithfulness.

Deu 7:9  "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

1Co 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

The Word of God is consistent in its establishing His faithfulness to His creation. We can see through the entire Old Testament the rebellious Nation of Israel as they constantly moved opposite the will of God, yet God remained faithful to His covenant with them. Even after the Jews rejected Christ, God set them aside and interpolated the Church age, however, he did not break his covenant with them, He simply delayed the fulfillment of that covenant until the tribulational period before Christ’s millennial reign. God has repetitively proven his faithfulness to the Church as well. The Word says that he is immutable, which means that he cannot change, so his faithfulness is perpetually executed throughout time.

We as Christian men must display this same faithfulness in our lives. We must keep our word and honor the covenants that we make with others and especially God. Our faithfulness speaks to our integrity. It is the cornerstone of our Character. When we introspectively analyze our behavior we should see the reflection of Christ in ourselves. Are we fulfilling the design?

Another characteristic of God is that of a loving and caring Father; a father that is caring, nurturing, protective, and providential. He is our Abba Father.  He covers us in our moments of vulnerability. He nurtures us with His Word, and yes, he chastens us when we rebel. Even his chastening comes for the purpose of improving us. God, as our Father is always present.

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

God designed us to represent Him before men, to represent His love, patience, and character. We have failed in this purpose and responsibility. We have allowed world views that foster secular paradigms to infiltrate the ranks of the Christian faith. Nihilism: the belief that life has no ultimate meaning; Relativism: the belief that truth is relative to the individual and the time and place in which one acts; there are no absolute or objective truths; Secular Humanism: a worldview based on atheism and naturalism in which man is the measure or standard of all things. This places man, not God, as the ultimate norm by which truth and morals are to be determined; Ethical Relativism: The belief that no absolute moral code exists and therefore man determines what is right in each situation according to his private judgment. These are just several of the philosophies that have found their way into the tenets of Christianity. With the surge of worldly philosophies, we have witnessed a steady decline in morality within the church and a measurable loss in effectiveness to minister.

It sounds crazy, but the world has lost faith in the people of faith. There was a time in which unbelievers looked to believers to set the moral standard, but somewhere along the way, we became distracted by the machinations of the enemy. We lost our way and became indistinguishable from those we were called to convert. The once extended respect the world had for the church has become swallowed up in the failure of the man of God to live Holy.

I am extending a call to every Christian man that reads this passage to rise up and live to the standard of your design. You have been designed for so much more than absentee fatherhood. You have been designed for so much more than mediocrity. You have been designed for so much more than being the bearer of dwarfed goals and the perpetuator of infinite pain. You were designed for greatness. You were designed for optimal function within the plan of God. You were designed to be the expressed image of God. I am starting with me. Today I stand and declare myself to be a part the fellowship of Godly men that refuse to be drawn in by the enemy. I stand alongside of any that will walk unashamed and undeterred by the tactics of the enemy.

      For those that are willing to make this commitment with me today, I promise that through us God will make a difference. Through us God will re-establish His people as a distinct and separate people. The great revivalist John Wesley once said, “Give me 100 men that fear no one but God and hate nothing but sin and we will change the world.” On that very premise I founded 100 Men of Purpose, an organization dedicated to leading men back into their God ordained roles as we ignite a revolutionary revival. Join me as we move forward.

Bishop Rick Wallace

Author: The Invisible Father 

A Loving Hand!

I have stated on more than one occasion that I do not preach from a platform of perfection. Therefore my admonishments and exhortations are never brought forth with the purpose of condemnation. When I wrote The Invisible Father I wrote it from a place of passion, not anger. There are a lot of statements that are direct; they may even seem accusatory; however not one of them is written with one iota of condemnation. The call I have sent forth to men is not based on blame, but truth.

I understand that there are many of you that yearn to be a good father, but you have not been afforded a wealth of role models after which you could pattern your life. You have grasped at the straws of possibility only to actualize shadows of your full potential. When you glance into the mirror, the reflection you see is of inadequacy and failure. You have been convinced by the enemy that you are all you will ever be. You are fatigued by the incessant turmoil that has become the story of your life. I would like to say, “I understand.”

I’m not implying that being a great Christian man is a simple and easy accomplishment. On the contrary, living out your destiny as a husband, father, leader and minister of the faith is a tall order to say the least. Yet, God has not left you to figure this out on your own. He has promised that he will never leave no forsake you (Josh. 1:5). He has promised that His design and plan for you would produce greatness as prosperity when applied and accompanied by faith and perseverance.

The world has written you off. You have been ostracized by those of the faith and ridiculed by those of the world. Around every turn there is someone to validate your fallibilities and amplify your failures. You have been emasculated in many ways by the women in your life. You have been systematically taught to be counterproductive. You are the downcast; you are forgotten, you are the ridiculed, but listen to what God has said about you:

  ²⁶For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.
    ²⁷[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.
    ²⁸And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,
    ²⁹So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. (1 Cor. 1:26-29 AMP)


You are the ones God will use to ignite the next great revival. He wants to take you with all your fallibilities and inadequacies and elevate you. He wants to fill you with His Spirit so that you may walk in your anointed purpose. No matter what you have done. No matter how far off course you have strayed. God wants to use you. He is simply asking that you surrender your life to him. He is asking that you trust him to blot out every blemish. Remember, it is because of your defalcation concerning your sins that Christ came to bear those sins, so give them to God.


There is an awesome husband on the inside of you; you were designed that way. There is a loving and exceptional father living on the inside of you; you were designed that way. There is powerful leader deep within your spiritual DNA; you were designed that way. The enemy has convinced you to walk contrary to your design. Maybe you did not have a father. Maybe your father was not a good role model. Whatever the case may be, God has made a way for you to be all that your were created to be. You were not designed for mediocrity. You were not designed for colorless dreams and dwarfed goals. You were not designed to live in the cul-de-sac of complacency. Your genetic makeup is not calibrated for passivity and incapability. No, you were designed for greatness. You were built for the battles you are facing.


No, I don’t project condemnation toward you. I extend a hand of love and acceptance. We must work together to become all that God has designed us to be. We must take ownership of our mess, but we cannot afford to wallow in it. You may have made many mistakes and I am sure that there are those that would love to use your mistakes to hold you emotionally captive. Please know that you are not required to mortgage your future to pay for your past, Christ has already covered the debt. Let those that are unable to let go of the past deal with their own inadequacies and emotional issues. Do what you can to mend the broken pieces and then place it in the hands of the Lord. The Invisible Father is not an assault on men, but a calling to task and a offering of support.


I cover you with the prayer that God will come into your immediate situation and make His presence immediately felt. I pray that as you surrender he will pour out his favor upon you and your loved ones. I pray that every severed relationship between a father and his child be mended. I pray that the mothers that may be holding on to old baggage will allow the love of God to open their hearts and remove the bitterness and resentment that has fostered the  wedge between father and child. I pray peace into every situation. Amen.
I invite every man that reads this to contact me directly for prayer and the seeking of God’s guidance. If there are any that know of resources available to men who are willing to make a change please come forth. 
To each of you I wish you a blessed coming year.


Bishop Rick Wallace
Author of The Invisible Father: 
Reversing the Curse of Fatherless Generation

  

The Invisible Father Syndrome: An Identity Crises: EXCERPT from The Invisible Fat...

The Invisible Father Syndrome: An Identity Crises: EXCERPT from The Invisible Fat...: Men, our children need us in so many ways. Our absence has created an entire generation that is suffering from an “identity crisis”. We are ...

Christian Impact: At Your Word: A True Faith Declaration!

Christian Impact: At Your Word: A True Faith Declaration!: RWM SERMON- 04-08-09 At Your Word Foundation Scripture: “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught n...

An Identity Crises: EXCERPT from The Invisible Father: Reversing the Curse of a Fatherless Generation

Men, our children need us in so many ways. Our absence has created an entire generation that is suffering from an “identity crisis”. We are such an enormous part of our children’s identity that our absence has left them searching for an understanding of “self”. They are looking for their identity in drugs, gangs, promiscuity, abusive relationships and more. They are reaching out trying to fill the void that was left when we walked away. We are a nation of broken homes and we must re-establish our position as leaders and protectors.

This country is crumbling under the weight of abandonment and irresponsibility. Crime is on the rise, prisons are being built at a rate that exceeds that of schools. Gang affiliations for youths are at an all time high. Teenage violence such as school shootings and hate crimes are on the rise.

I live in Houston, TX where a not long ago, a sixteen year old girl stabbed a teenage boy to death during a gang fight. She is now awaiting her second trial to determine her future. There were also two teenage boys who assaulted another teenager because of his race; subsequently they were sentenced to 90 years to life in prison.

There is a popular talk show that airs daily in which a large portion of its production is focused upon the errant lives of young teenage girls. These girls are normally brought to the show by overwhelmed mothers. The girls are disrespectful, violent, promiscuous, and generally out of control. The host of the show seems to be genuinely concerned and invites special guest and experts on the show to counsel these young girls. However, there is one thing in particular that baffles me; there is a question the host or the experts never ask, which happens to be the first question that enters my mind each time I view this type of segment: Where is the father? The father is never present and no one mentions him. I have found that absentee fathers are the common denominator in the plethora of social dysfunctionalities plaguing our country today.

No, I am not blaming the “Invisible Father Syndrome” for every social issue, but when the problems are traced to the source, IFS ranks toward the top of the list.

There are many men like myself, who are victims of IFS and are dealing with their own pain and difficulties from not having a father present or having a father errantly present. This, however, cannot stand as an excuse to fail in our own fathering duties. I do not declare myself a perfect father; in fact I have fallen short in several areas. Not having the role model to pattern myself after left me deficient in some aspects of fatherhood. I consider myself a work in progress. As long as I am present, active, and willing, I can and will improve. The effort alone tells my children that I care; that dad with all his imperfections will always be there. This is how it was meant to be. As our children grow as a person, we grow as fathers.

There are many fathers to whom the words of this book will strike a chord. Right now you may be hurting, overwhelmed, angry and lost, but there is hope. Likewise, to those who have endured pain and loneliness due to the absence of your father, there is hope for you too. Malachi 4:6 says, “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to the fathers.”  (NKJV)

There are over 7,000 promises of a positive nature in the Bible. How interesting is it that the last promise of the Old Testament is one of restoration? God has promised to turn the hearts of the fathers toward the children and the hearts of the children towards the fathers. It is my prayer that by authoring this book in conjunction with the great writers and leaders in whose shadows I stand, such as Doug Stringer, Bishop Bart Pierce, James Gills M.D., Bishop T.D. Jakes and many others, a revival of the ages will be ignited. This revival will see men seeking God and discovering their destinies. It will seat men in their rightful positions in the home and the community.

This revival must take place before this nation can reverse the downward spiral toward moral decay; a nation full of dependent and codependent youth.

In the laws of divine establishment, God ordained four divine institutions though which those laws would function: The individual, the marriage, the family, and the nation. Each institution functions under the primary authority delegated by God. The individual functions under the authority of individual volition (self-will); the marriage functions under the authority of the husband; the family functions under the authority of the parents and the nation functions under the authority of the official government.

It is no coincidence that the man is given direct primary authority in two of four divine institutions, and is indirectly the functioning authority in the other two. This means that when we as men operate outside the will of God for our lives, the ramifications are far reaching. When we become spiritually corrupt, we corrupt not only ourselves, but we short circuit our marriages, we render our families dysfunctional and the nation as a whole suffers. R.B. Thieme Jr. says it this way; When parents do not fulfill their responsibilities and children do not ‘honor” their parents, the nation suffers from insecurity, instability and eventually loss of liberty. A Nation’s disintegration begins in the family. (Thieme, Freedom Through Military Victory)

We as men have lost our identity and subsequently, families and children have lost their identities leading to an entire nation under an identity crisis.

The question then arises; can we overcome this crisis. Can we regain our identity? Can this country reassume the identity that once made us a great nation? The answer is simply: We must?

I often counsel young men from the inner city that are considered at risk. At risk means that these young men stand a greater chance of going to prison than enrolling in a University (U.S. Census Study). They are likely to die prematurely at the hands of another misguided youth. When questioning the young men I find that almost to a man, they believe in Christ. Some have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. I tell these men that “if they are still breathing, they are here for a reason.

These young men are from broken homes. Some were abandoned by their fathers, others have fathers that are incarcerated, and yet, others have lost their fathers to death by violence. They are bitter, angry, confused, but most of all, they are in need of direction. They need to know what it feels like to have a male role model, someone who cares. The young generation of today is crying out for fathers, whether biological or spiritual. Bishop Bart Pierce says we all need the covering of a spiritual father. He also says it is time to address the need for fathers; spiritual and natural. I concur; it is time as men and spiritual leaders in the community that we step forward. Too often in today’s society we become content in waiting out problems in hope that they will rectify themselves. It is time to take a proactive approach in dealing with the serious issues of absentee fathers. It is time to step up.


by Bishop Rick Wallace

A Challenge!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

Unfortunately, we have fallen short in this ethereal journey. We are called to be the leaders, the examples by which a lost world will be transformed. According to 1 Peter 2:9, we are God’s special and chosen people, yet we have hardly distinguished ourselves from unbelievers. When I say that we are to distinguish ourselves from unbelievers, I do not mean that it should be done in a condescending fashion, but in a way that illuminates and reveals the life of a true Christian. A Christian’s integrity must stand as a beacon light to guide those who are lost to Christ. However; as long as the Christian’s position and stance is obscure, he will continue to relinquish his position as a leader and be rendered ineffective.

To be lugubriously honest, the world is exhausted from the lip service of Christians; what they need is a blueprint that is proven. They need to be able to look at the life of a believer and see the difference a relationship with God makes. Isaiah 29:13 warns against honoring God with lip service only and not from the heart.

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heats are far from me. Their worship of me is made up of rules taught by men.” (Isaiah 29:13)

When we honor God from the heart, we relinquish our selfishness and surrender to His will for our lives. God’s will for our lives in no way involves fathering and abandoning our progeny. God feels so strongly about fatherhood that he uses it as a point of reference in describing His relationship to us.

As God reveals Himself as the Father, we find He is consistent in His love, always present and an incessant provider. On more than one occasion in the Bible, God promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us; He promises when all others fail us, He will take care of us. In God, we find the perfect example of fatherhood: dependability, veracity, consistency, and most importantly, unconditional love. Yet, in all that God has provided in the way of a blueprint to fatherhood, we as men have come so very short in providing the love, stability and security our children need in order to fully blossom into the extraordinary young women and men God intended them to be.

We are rapidly approaching a time when an active and present father will be an anomaly instead of a normality. Instead of being a normal expectation, a visible father has become an item on many children’s wish list.

The Clarion is sounding but we have yet to respond. All the signs are distinctly visible; however, our lack of spiritual acumen has rendered us incapable to exact change. Daily we are confronted with the vociferous outcry of a lost generation in search of leaders, a generation looking for confirmation that they are loved and valued. They are a generation that in many ways has broken through barriers that the generations before them found impenetrable. They have been able to move past sociological malignancies such as socioeconomic classation and even denominationalism, yet they have been handicapped by a void left by an absentee father. Fathers are supposed to be examples, affirmers, positive label givers and a source of strength to their children, but somewhere along the journey we have lost our way.  We have become engrossed in self-fulfillment and self-gratification.

We have adopted a secular philosophy of relative ethics, morality, and righteousness. We have decided to live our lives as we so desire and totally disregard the admonishment of God’s Word; as it clearly states: “Do not be conformed to this world…” (Romans 12:2)

Yes, many of us, ourselves, grew up without the love of our fathers. Many of us bear the scars of abandonment and neglect; however, we cannot use that as an excuse to lethargically roam through life ignoring our paternal, filial, and spiritual responsibilities. If anything, the painful experience of growing up in the absence of a father should serve to motivate each of us to take every step necessary to insure that our children know personally, the touch and love of a father.

A CHALLENGE

I personally extend a challenge to every man, especially every Christian man, to not only be the father your children deserve, but I challenge you to stand in the gap of the missing fathers in your periphery. To my Christian sisters, on behalf of every man who has hurt you, every man who has left you with the responsibility of raising your child alone; to every woman who has had a man decimate their dreams; to every woman who’s scarred emotionally, physically, or spiritually, I personally apologize. You too, have been scarred, disappointed, disenchanted, and in many ways cheated. You have been deterred from fulfilling your own destiny, but the time has come to rise up and become all that God designed you to be. Also, to every person who has had to struggle to overcome the pain and disappointment of growing up without a father, I extend an invitation to stand tall and press toward your destiny and purpose God ordained for you. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul says, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” In essence, the enemy has perniciously attacked you from every angle, but in paraphrasing Paul, you’ve been bruised, but not broken. As vehement as the pain may be, you have the power within to overcome this and every trial you will face in this life.

It is time to reverse the generational curse of fatherhood in absentia. It is time for men to resume their rightful and ordained positions as leaders, providers and protectors. It is time to put self aside and allow Christ to live through us. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good father leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” What type of inheritance is this generation leaving the subsequent generations? What will our grandchildren inherit from us? A superficial consideration of the aforementioned question may lead some to consider the bequeathment of material and financial assets, but it is my personal belief that the most impressionable and lasting inheritance a man can leave his descendants is his personal legacy. The question then simply becomes what have you done to positively impact your home, your family, your community, or society as a whole?

One of the most awesome legacies a man can leave is that of a good father. In fact, if men would determine within themselves to reverse the trend of abandoning their children and become pillars of strength in their communities, the spiritual, moral, and sociological impact would be astronomical. I call on every man to stand and be the man he was designed and created to be.

Bishop Rick Wallace

The Invisible Father in Retrospect!

When I wrote The Invisible Father: Reversing the Curse of a Fatherless Generation (available at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54632 ) I wrote from a place of experiential passion. I know, firsthand, the pain and desperation of not having a father that is active in your life. I know how feels to have questions that go unanswered no matter how desperately you search. I also wrote from a perspective of academic awareness; my studies supplied all of the data and knowledge necessary to validate what my heart had told me for years.

This nation is struggling to maintain its Christian Nucleus; the pivot on which every nation swivels. When a nation’s Christian Nucleus remains strong, centered and focused it creates an undeniable impact that is felt in every aspect of that nation’s social culture. However, when the Christian Nucleus dissipates and loses its focus, the impact is felt with the same magnitude as the strong and focused nucleus, but with negative results.

What we are witnessing right now in the United States is the repercussions of a Christian Nucleus that has lost its focus and its once inherent social impact. There was a time that even those that were not Christians looked to Christians for moral leadership and general guidance, but now it seems that the tide has turned and a great deal of Christians seem to be looking to secular paradigms to set the standards by which they live their lives. Worldviews such as Ethical Relativism: The belief that no absolute moral code exists and therefore each man determines  what is right in each situation according to his private judgment, have inundated the thinking of Christian believers as they allow themselves to be influenced by these secular ways of thinking.

Other worldviews such as nihilism: The belief that life has no ultimate meaning, and secular humanism: A worldview based on atheism and naturalism in which man is the measure of all things; man, not God, is the ultimate norm by which man comes to know of salvation, has caused an enormous paradigmatic shift in the thinking of Americans in general and has permeated the Christian culture in a manner that has in many ways rendered the Christian nucleus in this country impotent.

A Chinese paleontologist once wrote, “In China we can criticize Darwin, but not the government; in America you can criticize the government, but not Darwin.” He was speaking of the fact that The Darwinian Theory of Evolution is accepted as scientific fact in America Academia even when the basic principles on which it was founded have been obliterated by modern scientific discoveries. God has been taken out of the school and his massive and awesome creation has been explained away by “random selection”. Michael Ruse called Darwinism “Religion without Revelation” (keep in mind that the bible tells us “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he [Prov. 29:18 AMP]). Ruse calls Darwinism a religion because of the dogmatic stance his supporters have taken despite the overwhelming evidence of intelligent design (a term coined to represent a creationistic point of view).

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with the epidemic of fatherless children in this country. It has everything to do with it. It sets forth the basic foundation for the systematic failure of the Christian Nucleus of this country as well explains what seems to be a desensitized nation. Things that used to repulse believers in this country are not only being tolerated, but they are being embraced. Being spiritually in tuned with our God has been replaced with being politically correct and socially accepted.

The falling away of men in relation to their filial responsibility is just one of the many repercussions we are suffering because we have moved away from the one true and absolute standard on moral, ethical, and spiritual behavior, the Word of God.

Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Josh. 1:8 NIV)

My son, give attention to my words; 
Incline your ear to my sayings. 
 Do not let them depart from your sight; 
Keep them in the midst of your heart. 
For they are life to those who find them 
And health to all their body (Prov. 4:20-22 NASB)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Pet. 3:18)

Over and over again we are called to know the Word and allow it to be our guide. We are not to be led by the standards of the World but by the revelation of God. Christians were called to be a chosen and special people that set the standard, not to walk below it. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet. 2:9 AMP). 

We should be setting the standard and revealing the character and virtues of our awesome God; not lethargically moving through life guided by the wayward leadership of those in the world.

I invite others to bring their insight to the table. I also encourage you to let others know about my book: The Invisible Father which can be purchased and downloaded at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54632 .

 Sincerely and Prayerfully,

Rick Wallace