Father's House Blog

Sunday October 19th was a special day. I had the privilege of preaching in one on my favourite churches in the world, Jubilee Christian Church in Boston MA. This church – of over 5000 members – is mainly made up of African American and West Indian American believers. It has a great leader in Bishop Gilbert Thompson, and an amazing music ministry. Indeed there are few places in the world where the worship is more electric, vibrant and alive!
        At the same time, many of the church members come from very broken backgrounds. African Americans in general are currently experiencing a third consecutive generation of fatherlessness, and on top of that have a deeply ingrained history of slavery. This inevitably means that many African American believers are forgiven but not free. They carry deep wounds from their fathers and they are bound by the chains of father loss.
        Whenever I speak about the Father’s love in churches like Jubilee, there are so often great breakthroughs in peoples’ lives. Indeed, I have rarely seen as many tears as the last two visits to Jubilee. This time was no exception. After I preached at the 0730 service the sound of weeping broke out all over the building. One man, who had become a Christian only three weeks before, was overwhelmed with a new love for his estranged son and resolved to be reconciled and to enter into a new relationship with him.
        After the 1000 sermon, I used the story of British athlete Derek Redmond, who broke down on the track at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and whose father Jim broke through the fence to hug and help his wounded boy to the finishing line, to the sound of the greatest ovation at the Games. I showed the clip and prayed for those wounded on the tracks of life. A lady came up to me afterwards – an Olympic athlete who had competed at Beijing and is due to be representing her country at the London Olympics in 2012. She was absolutely overwhelmed by the picture of the running father and received prayer and breakthrough.
        After the 1230 service, a gang member who was attending with his child, was broken by what he heard and saw and received healing prayer and freedom from the chains that bound him. Please continue to pray for him and his child... for complete freedom in Christ.
        These and many others received the Father’s love, through Jesus, in the power of the Spirit. Let’s give Him all the glory!
          Father of forensic science, criminologist Edmond Locard, once said, ‘every contact leaves a trace’. He was speaking about the way in which criminals leave behind them clues that point to their presence and their actions. In other words, he was speaking of the traces of destructive behaviour that every evildoer inevitably deposits at every crime scene. They simply cannot help themselves.
        Once we are filled with the Father’s love, every contact we make with other people – whether we realise it or not – leaves a trace. It leaves a trace of the divine agape, the Love of all Loves, that brings true salvation, healing and deliverance to those in need.
We are called to walk in the Father’s love and give it away. Let us make contact with those who are bound by the chains of sin and sickness, and let us leave a trace of heaven in the lives of those who have been going through hell.