Last Hour Message - 'Do not call anyone on earth 'father''

The statement "Do not call anyone on earth 'father'" induces a sense of shock. The impulsive thing is to want to reject this statement because it seems out of place here on earth. Is there anyone on this earth who can claim they never had a father? These words trigger a natural inner disapproval. It may be that someone never saw their father from birth but the fact still stands that they refer to the deceased as their late father. How logical is it then to say, "Do not call anyone on earth 'father'?" We all have or had our biological fathers and naturally we call them 'father'. Even if we never saw them we would still call them 'father'. Again, one may ask, who would dare say the above words? What authority does he have? Well, would you believe it if I told you that these words came straight from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, Jesus Christ himself. He said these words more than one thousand years ago yet the words remain relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. "And do not call anyone on earth 'father', for you have one Father who is in Heaven" (Matt 23:9) Jesus was addressing a large crowd.

These words are hard words yet they represent the uncontaminated truth. I have always loved one quality of the truth; the truth does not become error because nobody sees it. The truth stands even if there be no public support. The truth is self sustained. Thousands may wonder after error but error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation. The verse instructing us not to call anyone on earth father is one verse which has few takers. Today the world has gone through significant changes historically. Scientific discoveries have come and gone. Thousands of academic and non academic volumes have been written and revised. Nearly all of the world's things have evolved, changed and gone but there is one thing which has endured the annals of history. That thing is a book. This book has maintained its form from thousands of years ago to date. There has been no second or third edition to it. It is as it was centuries ago. Its influence is still as great as it was centuries ago. Most books have been best sellers yet today they occupy the dumpsite. However, the book I talk about has stood and endured dark centuries which threatened it with extinction. That book is the Holy Bible and in it you will find the words, "Do not call anyone on earth 'father'"

Now what do you think prompted Jesus to say these words. What exactly did Jesus mean? Could he have been so rigid as to mean we mustn't call our biological male parent 'father'? You may ask again, but isn't this the same Jesus (God) who said "…honor thy father and mother so that you may live long?"(Exodus 20:12). Isn't this the same Jesus who told the parable of the prodigal son saying that when the son returned he said, "Father I have sinned against Heaven and against you?"(Luke 15:21).Brothers an d sisters, our God is not the author of confusion or contradiction. I do not have the slightest doubt in my mind that Jesus was not referring to the home setup were children may call their biological male parent 'father'. Jesus certainly couldn't have given a command which makes it impossible for one to relate to their father whom he instructed should be honored. That verse obviously does not refer to your biological father. Christ was not forbidding the show of respect. Which 'father' did Jesus instruct against then? Jesus spoke ahead of time. Jesus being God himself had already seen into this generation years and beyond. Jesus actually saw that the Way of Truth would be perverted in the Last Days. So what was he referring to: 'do not call anyone on earth your father?"
    
 Well, today there is this frenzy and popular phenomenon of church ministers who own 'children' or more appropriately who claim to own thousands of 'children' namely their congregants. Moreover, the 'children' are all excited about having their 'fathers' and they actually are too glad to be identified as sons or daughters of their 'fathers'. Some of the 'children' actually discard their 'sinful' family names to adopt their 'father's' surnames. Some of them are more proud to identify with their 'fathers' name more than they are proud to identify with God's very name-Jehovah. One preacher even said "You may even curse God and they won't mind yet you can be manhandled should you case their 'father' ". Recently on TV, I could not believe my ears to hear one West African preacher say, " I have told my 'children' in their thousands that next week's service is cancelled" in reference to his church members. Most of the 'children' have even gone into overdrive even altering their names and adopting their father's first name as their middle name. Is this not idolizing mere mortals which God strongly condemns? Was the church minister crucified for you? Where you baptized into the church minister's name or in Jesus' name? Huh? Is this not a classic example of following the creature instead of following the Creator? Surely, do you think this pleases a jealousy God as ours? Christ's words forbid the use of the names 'father', 'teacher' or 'instructor' in any ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being as we are witnessing today or as if he were the source of truth than God.
   
In their usual defence they will say people don't understand spiritual things. Of course yes, I for one do not understand occult things because the Bible is clear on the matter. Spiritual things exist in many forms. Apostle Paul refers to Timothy as, "My true son in the faith."(1 Timothy 1; 2). Apostle John also says, "My dear children, I write this to you√¢‚Ǩ¬¶" (1 John 2:1) It is precisely these Scriptures which they draw upon today. Dear brothers and sisters, the unvarnished truth is this: anyone who worships God in any other name which is not JESUS  CHRIST that person is worshipping a different spirit altogether. If there be any name that Christians ought to take pride in and worth identifying with (surnames), it is none other than the name of Jesus Christ for there is no other name given unto men by which man can be saved except the name of Jesus Christ. His name is above all names. It is a wonder how and why people should engage in such blasphemous practices. It is Jesus Christ who died for you not a mortal being who is born of fallen humans. It is Jesus who shed his precious blood for you on Calvary not fallen man. Jesus alone is immortal who lives in unapproachable light.
   
It should be understood that Apostles Paul and John (by addressing people young in the faith as children) never meant that they had attained a status where people could kneel down before them or alter their names to identify with them. These apostles were not spiritual fathers in the sense of today's 'fathers' neither did they assume undue spiritual authority as we see today. It was simply in the (Biblical) sense that they had become more mature Christians whose role was to admonish and guide those new in the faith. They never assumed the deity status which has resulted   in such practices of man-kneeling-before-man. Never did people alter their names to use Apostle John or Paul's surname. Their fatherhood merely existed to further the interests of the accurate teaching of the Word. They instructed and fed spiritual food to the new converts. It was never about having grown up men and women kneeling before them in blasphemous respect.
   
Deception is not made up of one hundred percent heresy. Deception is a mixture of truths, half truths and untruths. One cannot deceive unless they bring some truth. Likewise, check the futile deceptive words used by the devil when he tempted Christ, "throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels…and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Matt 4:5). Question: Was the devil lying that God could command his angels to lift one from being hurt? No he wasn't. The devil actually quoted Psalms 91:11 but was the motive right? It really calls upon the Spirit of God to help us discern that no person on earth whether pastor or whoever deserves the 'father' title. That title is a preserve of God Almighty. In fact, insisting on calling a mortal human being 'father' is in itself a form of idolatry and blasphemous. Idolatry tops the list of the things that God hates (Exodus 20:1-3) because it attacks the very supremacy of God. It undermines God who created people –the so called 'children'. It is precisely this modern idolatry that Jesus Christ sharply rebuked and warned against. I know that the truth has never been popular. Nevertheless, like I highlighted, the truth is independent of public opinion. Centuries ago the apostles were tortured and killed for the truth (Gospel) yet the truth marches on today.

My dear brothers and sisters, God himself desires that we revere and serve him as our only 'Father' yet he cannot force us neither has he forced anyone in history.  It is also not mine to force anyone into accepting Biblical truth on this matter. The choice is ours whether to idolize our Creator or mortal human beings but remember the end of this world is more nearer than we think. Jesus is coming back again-this time to judge.

This is the last hour. Take heed that no one deceives you.

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