Dr. Brown discusses the possible connection between fatherlessness (or bad fathering) and atheism (called by some “the atheist syndrome) and then shares some eye-opening online interaction and important news.
Hour 1:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Whatever issues you may have with an earthly father, you will have no issue with the Heavenly Father if you cast yourself completely on Him, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Stay faithful to the end.
Hour 2:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: To repeat the words of George Orwell, “Yes, in times of universal deceit, speaking the truth is a revolutionary act.” Let us be revolutionaries for the truth.
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DVD Debate with Rabbi Shmuley
PLUS
Other Resources:
Reflections on the Role of Fathers
The Assault on the Family, Censorship in London, and More
Foundations of Prayer [mp3 CD]
Foundations of Intercession [mp3 CD]
I struggle a lot with understanding or receiving God as a Father – my step-father was a Muslim terrorist (told my mother they planned to use the “airplanes as missiles”; trained at Tamiami Airport, where the other 9/11 terrorists received flight training), who beat me and my brothers, terrorized us, spoke damaging words to us.
My real dad left my family when my mother was pregnant with my little brother to marry another woman he met in another country (while on active duty as a Ranger).
When I think of God as a Father, I mostly cringe. I know I could get in trouble for not seeing God as a Father, but it is very difficult for me.
Dan1el, you more than any other can see why the enemy attacks the family, and wants to destroy genuine fatherhood in our day.
Our God is a Father to the fatherless- and you could certainly consider yourself to be fatherless. The men in your life did not carry out the privileged responsibility, or the tender calling of being a father to you.
Meditate on God’s Word and on the Word made flesh. Jesus said “I and the Father are one”- He is the perfect manifestation of the Father. He walked with us, healed our infirmities, drove out the demons with a word, and fed the hungry with abundance. He has promised to care for us eternally in the Father’s house. He even bore in his body and broken spirit the burden of our sin- death for us. You should not for a moment feel that you will “get in trouble”- but let Him work by the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. God will restore the years that the locust has stolen.
I don’t understand the Father. He always says “son” to me – and I feel bad, because I don’t know how to be “correlative” to Him as a son. Most of the time, I just ask Him to kill me or make it as if I never existed.
I was fasting once for a number of days, and I asked God to give me strength as though I had been eating (supernaturally), and He said, “What are you going to do?” – I was surprised, because I thought I was fasting so that I could hear God telling me what to do, so would not sin against God – I never thought God would ask ME what I was going to do: I thought we were NOT supposed to do our will?
Besides this, some time later, as I was seeking to obey God with fear and trembling, He tried to tell me, “OK, you’ll do the things I say, and you’ll get this – joy” – I just sort of was indifferent to/offended at the joy, “I don’t care about joy; I just don’t want to go to hell.” I obey God in order to not go to hell (and of course I loved God, too). I felt God did not want me to be afraid, so I asked, “What about hell?” Seemed I wasn’t supposed to be afraid of hell, either! So, I asked, “why would I obey You if I wasn’t afraid of hell?” He said, “Love”.
I refused. I couldn’t be “pushed”/”urged” to do something out of “love”, when someone is threatening to send me to hell.
I struggle with these issues to this day.
Thanks, nonetheless.
I think getting “disciplined (beaten) in childhood is what makes people believe in God.
*correction: what may be a large part of what AFFECTS someone in such a way so as to be conducive toward the belief in God – would be being disciplined, in the developmental years
I don’t mean to be stereotyping, but I’ve had many African American friends, AND I was also raised (babysat) by African-Americans in an African-American community, and they definitely get “the rod” more regularly than other families I’ve known (and they tend to have more believers in God).
Dan1el, I’m so sorry to hear about your upbringing, but identifying the problem is a big step in the right direction. Although I never struggled with this issue (nor was I given the rod much growing up, but I had a tremendously loving father and mother), I found it helpful to encourage others to think about how Jesus related to the Father and then to put yourself in His shoes. In other words, rather than putting the emphasis on what it means to have God as Father, consider what it means to be His son, looking at Jesus as your example. Also, have you read many books about the Fatherhood of God?
Re: the rod, I believe one of the things that kids need is boundaries, and that’s where the discipline aspect comes in.
May God’s grace flood your life!
Never read books about God’s Fatherhoodness. I could find some online, I guess (googlebooks).
About your debate on OSAS tomorrow – it came to my mind: how could “watchmen” get in trouble for not sounding the alarm; and it be said, “their blood is on YOUR HANDS; not their own heads”… that is a pretty strong statement, and it applies to us, today according to Paul’s teachings (“it was written for our sake”).
“Fatherhood” – do you have any books you recommend? I looked on Google Books, and couldn’t find anything good.
Hey Dr. Brown. If you get a chance, please watch the music video “Just Like You” on You-Tube from hip-hop artist Lecrae. Listen to the lyrics and tell me what you think. I believe he speaks a lot of truth about what its like growing up without a father. Thank You for you future response! 🙂
Dan1el,
watchmen, elders, shepherds, pastors, all nearly synonymous: greater responsibility, greater judgment concerning ‘works’. Should be sobering to wannabe superstar evangelists going after the rewards of money, beauty, & fame. ‘Curse of the devoted thing’. Getting closer to true discussion of the Tithe.
In Him, Ron M.
One thing a father should do is be there for his son to plead his cause against any oppressor while holding his own son as accountable for sin as anyone else, with the same measure of honesty, being willing to do the same for one party as for another.
Ever watch the TV series The Rifleman? Lucas McCain was a lot like an intercessor. Lots of TV characters seem to have been built around that kind of theme, though the settings are different.
How about Route 66? Intercessors. Moving On, with Will and Sunny? (spelling?)
What can we think of that could turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers more than the work of delivering judges / reconciling ministers by the gospel of Christ?
Nothing I know of. Can’t think of anything else.