Today, our teacher Pastor Landis Fisher mourns the evil event that took place in Charleston South Carolina at the Emmanuel A.M.E. Church, knowing that even as an evil murderer did his worst that the saints who were faithfully serving God are now in the prescense of God’s Glory, having had a victorious departure and have completed a beautiful, successful life here on Earth. Our prayers go out for their families in their absence, however, and we know and are praying that God will continue doing His work of healing even this kind of unimaginable pain inflicted upon their loved ones.
Please listen in as ourPastor Teacher Landis Fisher preaches a special message honoring Fatherhood, which he has titled: “Fatherhood and Salvation”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Zechariah 1:1 – 6 (KJV)
Zec 1:1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
Zec 1:2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Zec 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Zec 1:5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:5 – 11 (KJV)
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) Human fatherly relationships between fathers and their children vary from person to person, therefore, we might each grade our relationship with our fathers quite differently say on a scale of zero to ten with some being “0” and others maybe even as much as “10”, depending on many true life values one might use in order to assess this, especially on this day which we set aside to honor the general institution of Fatherhood.
2) No matter what the record of our fathers might be, let us recognize and honor the fact that because of them we are here and God has always been on our side to sustain us regardless of any situation, and that in order to be saved, Jesus said that you must be born again!
3) God is the very best Father and is teaching us in like manner to be the best we can in this life, as we endeavor to pass along His legacy to the generations to follow, knowing the glories He has promised to reveal in us who put their trust in Him through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.
