Kingdom Ministry - Father to Son | Ep. 184

Drawing from Paul’s charge to the Corinthians, we explore why “many instructors but few fathers” still rings true, and how formation requires more than information.

We walk through Scripture’s living chain of impartation: Abraham to Isaac and Jacob, Moses to Joshua, Elijah to Elisha, and Ruth with Naomi. These stories reveal a consistent pattern—clinging to presence, receiving correction, and being publicly commissioned—that transfers not just knowledge but weight, wisdom, and recognized authority. Along the way, we look at Jesus and the apostles as a family by adoption, with Peter, James, and John formed into pillars who could carry the early Church. Paul continues the model through Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus, showing how sons inherit ways, not merely words.

Our conversation wrestles with a hard question: why does zeal so often outrun maturity? We suggest that independence without submission leaves believers gifted yet fragile. True fathering turns potential into fruit by aligning hearts to the Father’s will, shaping discernment, and blessing the next generation to go further—yes, even to receive a double portion. This isn’t about control or celebrity; it’s about a legacy that outlives a single life and strengthens the whole body.

If you’re hungry for guidance that refines character and clarifies calling, this episode offers a roadmap grounded in Scripture and tested by time. Lean into leaders who love God’s glory more than their own, welcome correction that protects your future, and seek commissioning that serves the Church.

Transcript

Vision Of Life And Return To Source

j - Jesus M. Ruiz 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are spent, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose. Hello everyone, and welcome to Our Father's Heart. I am your host, Jay Ruiz, and today I'd like to share with you some kingdom insight regarding the ministry of the Father to the Son. I want to first thank Dr. Mark Hanby and Craig Lindsay Irvin for sharing their insight into this pattern of ministry with their book, You Have Not Many Fathers, Recovering the Generational Blessing. I first want to start off with the scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 14 and 15. Paul writes to the Corinthians and he says, I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel. Now, if you know anything about the letter to the Corinthians, you know that Paul was writing to them to set many things in order that were out of order in the church. And when he wrote to them, he didn't have a heart to condemn them or embarrass them. No, like a father, he didn't want to stifle their zealous spirit. So he approaches them. Paul approaches the Corinthian believers as a father would his own son. He wanted to warn them to not get too zealous, that they lose their spiritual discernment, that they get too distracted and they stop keeping their eyes on the prize. Paul addresses the fact that there are there are many teachers and instructors in Christ, but there are not many fathers. And there's a tremendous difference between just a mere teacher of someone and a father of someone. I teach five days a week kids in public school. I'm not a father to any one of them. And I try very hard to keep in mind that they're students of mine. They're not my kids. But I don't believe that there can be any real argument of the powerful influence and impact that a father has in his family and with his children. Paul believed himself to be a father to the Corinthians. He had this sense that he birthed them into the kingdom through the gospel, and he beseeched them to follow him, their father. Just as our father sent his own son to teach us the ways of our father, so also did Paul. The Father, our Father, creator God, initially called Abraham unto his own. He instructed him to leave his very own natural father and follow him to a place and a destiny far beyond anything he could ever imagine. Our father, his father, our heavenly father, instructed him personally and uniquely. And when he imparted to him the promise of the anointing of his destiny, he then wanted Abraham to impart and instruct the same promise to his promised child, Isaac. Isaac, in turn, held on to the promise, and the anointing imparted to his father and passed it on to his son, Jacob, who later became Israel. Clearly, this is the beginnings of the initial precedence of the impartation of the Father's anointing onto the son. However, we must also recognize that the father's anointing can be passed down to another, quote unquote, a son, without a genetic relationship. So let's go over some examples of that. In Exodus chapter 17: 9, we read that Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. And in this relationship between Moses and Joseph, we see the beginning of a development that we're going to kind of focus on for the next few minutes. But it started here. Moses wanted Joshua to choose men to go out and fight Amalek while he stood at the top of the hill. And as we continue to observe little snippets of their relationship, we see Joshua beginning to cling to Moses. So let's jump ahead a few chapters in Exodus 24. It says, Moses rose up and his minister, his servant, Joshua. And Moses went up into the mount of God. Go ahead a few chapters in Exodus, and you read in Exodus 33, verses 9 through 11. And it came to pass as Moses entered the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle. And the Lord talked with Moses, and all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose up and worshipped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend, and he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. So when Moses went up to the mountain to receive the commandments of the Lord, it was Joshua that was nearby. And in this particular instance in Exodus 33, Moses was at the tabernacle, or in the tabernacle, and the cloud came down on the tabernacle, and he was at a distance just waiting on Moses. And then later on we read Moses went up to the mountain to actually receive the commandments of the Lord. It was Joshua who stayed at the edge of the mountain waiting for Moses for 40 days, while the rest of the Israelites, as you know, created a molten calf and was complaining because they didn't know where Moses was. When Moses went into the tabernacle while the glory of the Lord descended upon the tabernacle, it was Joshua who did not depart out of the tabernacle. But he remained as close to Moses as possible without interfering with the relationship Moses had with his heavenly father. So if we jump back a little bit to Exodus chapter 32, it's a little snippet here again. An exchange between Moses and Joshua, and we see Moses uh ministering and teaching and directing Joshua. So Joshua heard noise. He heard noises of the people and they were shouting. And as Moses came down from the mountain, he said, Gosh, it sounds like a war is in the camp. And Moses said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery. It's not the voice of people that have won a victory, basically. And neither is it a voice of them that cry for being overcome. It's not the cry of people that have been defeated, but the noise of them that sing do I hear. So Joshua had a discernment of the noise that he was hearing, but it wasn't quite right. And then Moses stepped in and said, No, no, that's that's not what we're listening to. We're not listening to people that have got a victory, we're not listening to a people that have come under in defeat, but we're listening to a noise of them that are singing. So Moses is correcting and instructing Joshua in discernment. It's mild, granted, it's a subtle example, but it does attest to this developing relationship that Moses and Joshua were having and the instruction that Moses was imparting to his quote-unquote son. He wasn't a genetic son, he wasn't one of his offspring. We know that Moses had uh two sons with um the daughter of the priest of Midian, but it wasn't his genetic sons that were staying close to him, it was Joshua. And so as we read on in the Tanakh, in Numbers chapter 11, verses 25 through 29, it says, The Lord came down in a cloud, he spoke unto him, and he took of the spirit that was upon him, and he gave it unto the seventy elders. And it came to pass when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two men in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other was Medad, and the Spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out into the tabernacle, and they prophesied in the camp. And then young men ran, and they told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad have prophesied in the camp. And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord, Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Are you envying for my sake? Would God that all of the Lord's peoples were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them? Interesting response that Moses had. Very prophetic, if you know the scriptures, because in the New Covenant that's exactly what the Lord did. He put his spirit in many of his children, not just a certain select few like he did in the Old Testament, where he came upon certain men and women to accomplish his purposes. So here we see again Moses being an example of a selfless father. He's not concerned with himself receiving all the attention, but rather he shows Joshua that a leader must desire the best for others, and not hoard the glory or the anointing for himself. The father wants to see all of his sons blessed. Let's continue on a little further in Numbers chapter 27, verses 18 through 29. The Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him, and set him before Eliezer the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. And he shall stand before Eliezar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him, after the judgment of Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and he took Joshua, and he set him before Eliezer the priest, and before all the congregation. He laid his hands upon him, and he gave him charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. Let's also read in Numbers 32, verse 12. So Moses or Moses is told by the Lord, select Joshua out from among them all, and anoint him and consecrate him and command him before all as a public witness and give him the charge. And it says in a separate chapter that it's describing Joshua as being one of two, him and Caleb, that have wholly followed the Lord. Obviously, speaking about them as being one of or two of the twelve spies that went into the promised land and came back with the only two that had a good report. It was that demonstration that they were described in the scriptures as being those that have wholly followed the Lord. But let's look at also what Deuteronomy chapter 34, verse 9 says of Joshua. It says, And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the children of Israel hearkened unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses. So we see from these verses that our heavenly father instructed Joshua's father, meaning Moses, in the ministry. He publicly recognized the anointing that was upon Joshua by bestowing the Father's honor upon the Son, meaning the Son in the ministry. He was not a genetic son. And through the laying on of hands and through the public declaration, Joshua was put in that position before the eyes of all the people. And so over the years, as he walked with Moses, as he went through the wilderness for the 40 years that Moses and the rest of the children of Israel had to go through the wilderness, there was a developing and a firmly established relation to that by the time that Moses died, the Lord was ready and willing to raise up Joshua to continue leading them into the promised land. Joshua clinged, he received instruction, and by his testimony of faithfulness to Moses, the Lord was seen, the Lord saw him as a man who wholly followed the Lord. And because of all of this, the anointing from Moses was bestowed upon Joshua. And so the Israelites listened to him, esteemed him as they did Moses, and this resulted in Joshua leading the people of God into the promised land. That's not the only example of this kingdom ministry being passed down from father to son non-genetically. But we can also look at Elijah and Elisha in their relationship. We know how Elijah was told by the Lord to anoint Elisha as the prophet to succeed him. Elijah found him ploughing with oxen in a field at one day, and he cast his mantle upon him, and Elisha then came under the tutelage and guidance in the direction of Elijah. From that day forward, Elisha would not leave his side nor cease to serve Elijah. They also spent a duration of time together. And in that period, not only did Elisha learn a great deal, but he became very attached to Elijah. Elisha desired purpose. And that purpose is only found in the anointing. He recognized the anointing that was on Elijah. So Elisha became like, he became like Jacob in the sense that Jacob would not let go of the angel of the Lord when he wrestled that evening until he was blessed. And Elisha had the same type of heart that Jacob did, and I want to show you that in the scriptures. Elisha would not let go of Elijah until he was blessed. So let's read in 2 Kings 2, verse 2, it says, Elijah said unto Elisha, this is when Elijah was going to be taken up in a chariot in a whirlwind, and there was already talk going around about how Elijah was going to kind of disappear, I guess, in a sense. And he says to Elijah, Wait here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. Together. And so we read now in verse 4 Elijah said unto Elisha, Wait here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me now to Jericho. And Elisha answered, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they then went to Jericho. And then we go to verse six. Elisha says to him again, Wait here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me now to Jordan. And Elisha says, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And the two went on. Now let's skip to verse nine. And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask, what shall I do for thee? Before I be taken away from thee? You know, after this repeated, you know, responses from Elisha, going to Bethel, and then going to Jericho, and then going to Jordan, he says, Okay, Elisha, what do you want from me? I'm going to be taken away. You know this. What do you want? And Elisha says to him, I pray you, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. He gives his response, and we read in verse 11 how it came to pass that they went on and they talked. They continued to fellowship, they continued to live together, and then behold, look, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them asunder. In other words, the chariots of fire and the horses separated them. And Elijah went up by a world went into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof, and he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and he rent them in two pieces. Interesting that he walked with Elijah for so long. And when Elijah was taken up from him, never to be seen again, Elisha cries out, Not Master, Master, not Lord, Lord, but my father My Father. And it says he took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. It says in Second Kings chapter two, verse 15, and when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha, and they came to meet him and bowed themselves down to the ground before him. That was the development, a picture, snippets, of this developing relationship between Elisha and Elisha. We see the clinging again. We see correction, we see calling, just as we saw with Moses and Joshua. Many people believe that the greatest part of Elijah's ministry was calling down fire from heaven and consuming all the prophets of Baal, or it was that Elijah was shutting up the heavens from raining or allowing it to rain once again after years of no rain. And some think it might be the meal and the oil provision to the famine, the restoring of life to the boy. Some even think it was just reproducing the dividing of the waters with his mantle. However, the greatest part of Elijah's ministry was imparting his anointing unto another, so that the kingdom of God would continue after his departing. Elisha received a double portion of the spirit that rested upon Elijah. So in studying this topic, I want to make it very clear that we need to recognize that even though we're calling this ministry of the Father to the Son, don't take it as being gender-specific. Like this has nothing to do with the females. So let me show you a good example of this pattern of ministry and imparting to the next generation. In Ruth chapter 1, verses 8 through 18, Naomi, after losing her two sons, said to her two daughters in law, Go return to your mother's house. Hopefully the Lord will deal kindly with you as he has dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them and they lifted up their voice and they wept. And they said, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. Because they had all lost their husbands. Ruth, Naomi, the two daughters in law, which Ruth was one of them. And they said that they're going to go with her. And Naomi said to them again, No, go back. Why go with me? I don't have any more sons in my womb that could become your husbands. Please go back. Go your way. I'm too old to even have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband also tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait until they're grown? Even if it were possible, would you wait until my sons were grown? No, no, no. Go go back from where you came. Go back to your own families. This is so grieving to me. Because the hand of the Lord has gone out against me. And all three of them, all the women just started crying. They were just crying and wailing and lifting up their voice. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and then went away. But look at what it says of Ruth. Ruth clave unto her. See that clinging is it can be seen within women wanting that same, you know, kingdom-minded anointing like Joshua did with Moses, like Elisha did with Elijah. We see Ruth clinging to Naomi. And Naomi says to her, look, your sister-in-law has gone back unto her people and unto their gods. Return now, like your sister-in-law did. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee. Don't ask me to leave. Or to return from following after thee, or to go back from actually following you. For wherever you go, I'm gonna go. And where you stay, I'm gonna stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God. And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also if aught but death part thee and me. Wow. I don't know how that relationship got that way. But there was definitely a steadfast and loyal love from Ruth to Naomi. Obviously, that does that just doesn't fall out from the from the clouds, you know, it's like some meteorite from the skies or something. There was a relationship that had been developed, and when they had all lost their husbands, Ruth just made up in her mind, I'm gonna stay with you. I'm gonna go with you. Wherever you go, I'm gonna go. Wherever you stay, I'm gonna stay. Wherever you die, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna be buried there too. Nothing is gonna part us but death. And so when Naomi saw that she was so steadfastly minded to go with her, she left, speaking unto her. Ruth's level of loyalty and love and commitment to Naomi is astounding. And you and I know the story. You see Ruth clinging to her mother, you see Naomi instructing Ruth, that led her to being redeemed by Boaz, and according to Matthew chapter 1, 5, when Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, she found herself in the lineage of her God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wow. But the idea of the impartation of the anointing from father to son not being genetic, we've said we've shown the genetic, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and on and on down. But we also see it through these other examples, and now I'm going to go into the new covenant. Jesus and his disciples is another example. Jesus was a father to his disciples, his sons, if you will. Being that Jesus was God the Father manifested in the flesh, as it says in 1 Timothy 3:16, I submit that Jesus was not only their father by creation, but he was also their father in the ministry. They weren't related by genetics, yet they were chosen to be his sons. And this is a wonderful picture of Jesus adopting the disciples in the natural, was a type of what he was going to do in the spirit when his disciples received the Spirit of adoption in their hearts. When did that happen? Look at Romans 8, chapter 15 and 16. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, where we cry, Abba Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. So he adopted him in the natural during the three and a half years of the days of his flesh as he ministered as sons, but he also adopted them spiritually when he poured out his spirit upon them. It also says in Galatians chapter 4, verses 4 through 6, When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth a Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. See, Jesus was the Spirit of God incarnate. And the Scriptures tells us that those that are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. What was Jesus doing during the days of his flesh? Well, he was leading, he was teaching, he was guiding, he was directing his children in the ministry that he would set before them. For three and a half years he did this. He fathered them in the ministry of the kingdom of God. He showed them the ropes, and they followed him. They left their family, they left their homes to be fathered like no other, like never before. And within this adopted family, we also see a tight inner circle. And that inner circle was a developing relationship between Simon Peter, James, and John. For whatever reason, as much as we can tell from the scriptures, it seems like they desired a more intimate walk with him. They were a little bit more sold out than the others. Jesus saw that. The three saw him, like none of the other disciples did. Simon, we know, became Peter, the piece of a rock that led the charge of feeding the sheep that we read of in John 21. And it began in Jerusalem, through Judea, through Samaria, through the uttermost parts of the earth, the Gentile world. James and John were actually the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus surnamed them the sons of thunder. And they were the ones that desired selfishly, remembered to sit at his right hand and at his left hand in the throne room of heaven, and they didn't really know what they were asking for. And this same John was still the beloved disciple that rested his head on Jesus' bosom. He literally heard the heartbeat of God because of the closeness of their relationship. And when you look at the letters that John wrote, we see John was charged with the anointing to reveal Jesus not only as the Son of God, for that he truly was, but also as God Almighty, who he also truly was. In Galatians 2 9, it says that these three of the inner circle were the pillars in the first century church. Did you notice that? They were the ones that Paul perceived of the grace given to him that was given to Paul and Barnabas, they were given the right hand of fellowship, charging that they, Paul and Barnabas, would minister to the Gentiles while they, the others, the pillars in the first century church, would continue ministering to the Jews. So we see they were vested with great authority. And this authority doesn't seem to be spoken of with the other disciples. But that's neither here nor there. Look at the bigger picture. The adopted sons of God, talking about the disciples who became the apostles, they literally turned the world upside down. And the ripples of what they did in the first century are still being felt today. 2,000 years later. This anointing from the Father to the Son was so powerful that each one of the disciples were committed with his grace unto their deaths. They were martyrs of the highest calling. The anointing in the ministry of the Father to the Son is authority. It's also intimacy. It's also power and the legacy of the ministry of the kingdom of God. Now you know, on a genetic level, when you think of this naturally, carnally, you know, genetically, sons they resemble their father. All children resemble their father in some way, some more than others, but nevertheless they resemble their father. Or if you want to go to their parents, all children resemble their parents in some respect. Some combination of their father, some combination of their mother. And look at what Jesus said in John chapter 5, 19 through 20. And we'll go to verse 30. Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do? For what things soever he doeth, the Son also doeth likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. Jesus said, I can of my own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I don't seek my own will, but the will of the Father, which sent me. Let's look a little bit more at some of these scriptures in John 8, when Jesus said, You know, when you lift up the Son of Man, you're going to know that I'm he, and that I don't do anything of myself. But as my Father taught me, I speak these things. And the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the Son abideth forever. That was verse 35 of John 8. And now notice, there's a contrast here. If you have ever read Hebrews, you would know that the author of Hebrews starts comparing Jesus with angels, starts comparing Jesus with priests, starts comparing Jesus with Moses to show his preeminence over them all. So in Hebrews chapter 3, verses 5 through 6, hey, Moses verily was faithful in all his house. It's true. Let's give credit where credit is due. Let's give him his uh uh appropriate honor. Moses was faithful in his house, as a servant, for a testimony for those things which were to be spoken of after. But, it says, But Christ, as a son over his own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end. See, Jesus as a type of son resembled his father not only physically but spiritually. Every aspect, attribute, characteristic that the Father that was shown to us in the Old Testament through his revealed names, Jehovah Jirah, our provider, Jehovah Nisi, our banner, Jehovah Rophe, our healer, Jehovah Sitginu, our righteousness, Jehovah Rohi, our shepherd, Jehovah Shalom, our peace, Jehovah Sabaut, host, our Lord of hosts, and the great I Am. Every aspect of the Father is known to us in every respect through Jesus Christ. Jesus as the Son was the visible manifestation, might say personification of his invisible father. Because he was the father in the flesh. Listen to how Paul describes his sons in the ministry. Titus chapter 1, 4, Titus, mine own son. If you know anything about Paul, he wasn't ever married and he didn't have genetic children. He was sold out to the Lord. But because he was working in the ministry of the kingdom, he had the ability to spiritually adopt others who were also going to work together with him to continue the ministry of the kingdom. So Titus was one of his considered sons. In Philemon or Philemon, chapter 1, 10 through 12, he speaks of his own son Onesimus, who he was sending back to Philemon. He recognized him as his son. In other words, he ministered to him the gospel, he believed the gospel, he turned his life around by obeying the gospel, and he began to follow along and serve with Paul. But Paul was going to send him back to the Philemon, who was his previous master, if you will, because he was a servant to Philimon. But nevertheless, Paul considered Anesimus his son. And if we read 1 Corinthians chapter 4, 17, Paul says of Timothy, he says, This is the reason I send Timothy to you. He is my beloved son, and he's faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. You see, the sons are supposed to continue the ministry of the Father. That's why we see Titus, we see Onesimus, we see Timothy, we see the disciples, we see Joshua, we see Ruth, we see Elisha, trying to remember all the ones that I just mentioned in this podcast. They all continued the ministry of their father because that is the actual purpose of a son. To reflect their father. We can trace that all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When God created man, he created man in his image. He was supposed to be the physical embodiment and representation of the invisible God. That's what it means to be made in the image of God. We were supposed to represent him on earth. So after reading this book and really meditating on all these principles, I came to the realization, after meditating on all these verses for a long time, that a true son is one who honors his father by expressing and representing to others his father's wishes, desires, and will. Now Jesus was one of those rare, unique individuals like Moses, like Abraham, that are called to be fathers when there didn't seem to be an appropriate father figure for them. And I say that hesitantly about Jesus because Joseph was a pretty upstanding young man, and we don't know really what happened to him. It seems like he just maybe have died early or something. We don't really know how how long. I mean, he was around for some period of time because uh Joseph and Mary did have children after Jesus, at least four brothers and at least two uh sisters, you know, uh sons and daughters. But he just seems non-existent during the during the days of his flesh when he was ministering. But Abraham? I mean, Abraham's father was uh was an idolater. He was worshiping other gods. Just go back to the story. Moses, we don't really know much about his father, but he was raised in the house of Pharaoh. And then at the age of 40, he ran away from the house of Pharaoh because he had just murdered a man, and who was taking care of him, who was raising him, who knows? But he was there another 40 years. When he met his wife and he met the priest of Midian, and he started a family and had two children, and it was around 80 that he was called back by God to help let my people go, as the scriptures tell us. God was their father and directly led them and fathered them into their respective ministries and callings. Moses did not learn what he learned and do what he did by his earthly father. He heard the voice of the Lord and he obeyed, so he did it by his heavenly father. Abraham, his natural father, didn't teach him what he did, but God revealed himself to Abraham, and Abraham heard the voice of the Lord and then obeyed his heavenly father. Jesus, in that same respect, heard the voice of the Lord and obeyed him just perfectly, unlike Moses, unlike Abraham, he did it perfectly. So God does directly teach people to be fathers in the ministry that he has revealed to them and called to them, but that's rare. Brothers and sisters, that is rare. Most of the ministry that we see on a regular basis is when men are fathered by other men in the earth to continue the ministry of the kingdom. Abraham did that with Isaac, Isaac did that with Jacob, Moses did it with Joshua, Elijah did it with Elisha, Naomi did it with Ruth, Jesus did it with his own disciples. This is the principal pattern of anointing from father to son. The anointing flows most effectively from father to son, but it is not necessarily genetic. Today God is still fathering unique individuals in order to father others in the ministry, because as Paul said, there's 10,000 instructors all around, but there are very few fathers. And Jesus is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. So why do you think might be a reason why there's such immaturity in the body of Christ? Why do so many young Christians that are zealous for the Lord but seemingly lacking maturity after walking with Him for many years? Why do we see so little accountability with so many ministers? Why are there so many spiritually weak Christians? I present all of this to you for us to consider that you see that a lot in the body of Christ today, and you might even see it in yourself. And the reason why is because they, or maybe yourself, have not found their proper father in the ministry. Or maybe they just have refused or rejected or wrestled against the idea of trusting a man of God, whom God has called, to father them directly by him in the ministry. Like Paul, father Timothy, Paul Father Titus, Paul, Father Donesimus. You see, we've probably missed something along the way in this Christian faith walk that I think this book really helped me to see and understand. There's no doubt that our Heavenly Father fathers each and every one of us individually. This is how he conforms us into his image. This is how the Spirit of God is at work in us when he pours out his spirit in us. He's he's developing us, or he's developing himself in us, I should say. But especially in America, we're striving to be so independent that we have failed to recognize or we refuse to embrace God's way, God's will, in that he does this work of fathering through other men of God, ordinary men just like you and I, but very special men, not because of who they are, but because of the anointing that is on them, because of what the Father has done in them as he fathered them himself in order to benefit others. How many people have we seen or known who will not honor their natural father for a myriad of reasons? Many of those same children will also not honor their God. Let me put it this way. Many of those same children will also not honor their God given spiritual fathers. For they have not learned to be sons. Sons are humble and submitted to their father. Life has taught them how to fend for themselves, I get it. And make their own way to survive, I get it. I've been in that state, I understand what that is like. But the adversary has aborted many, many ministries by simply cursing the father in the home. But regardless of your earthly family and the life circumstances, whether you had a father in the home or not, whether you had a good father or not, whether you had a bad father or not, whether he had an absent father or not, whether he had a neglectful father or not, whether you had a father that didn't love you or didn't express love, God has a word for you. He says in Psalm 68, verse 6 God sets the solitary in families. He brings those out which are bound with chains, but the rebellious remain or dwell in a dry land. Sometimes where we are where we are at spiritually. In other words, the condition, our state, is because that's what we want. To be. When you consider your present circumstances and wonder why I am in a dry land, consider what I've just shared here. It may be because you are not willing to be fathered in the ministry, because you will not humble yourself and be submitted to the father. God has chosen specifically to father you in the ministry of the kingdom. Remember, it's the rebellious ones that remain and dwelling in a dry land. The need for spiritual fathers in our life is so important that I consider, is it any wonder why David prayed against his enemies? These verses. David prayed that his enemies' children would be fatherless, and his wife a widow. He prayed against his enemies that there should be no mercy extended to them, neither let there be any favor to his fatherless children. In other words, David understood, and this is why he prayed that for the children of his enemies, that they would be fathers, that there would be none to favor their children left behind. In other words, let mine enemy have not a proper father in their home, or have no father at all. Let no one come into that home and be a father figure to them. That their father's children remain fatherless children. Why? Because in doing so, a family is devastated, crippled for many generations just by taking care of the father. And what I mean by removing the father and his influence. These principles applied or they apply to any family. And if they are applied properly, they will bear forth fruit. So as I conclude, let us follow the example of Isaac and Jacob, Joshua, Elisha, the disciples, and the sons of Paul, and consider allowing yourself to be fathered in the ministry. If you were blessed and appreciate listening to this podcast and you would like to support us in our efforts, consider lifting us up in prayer first. Then remember these four social media buzzwords. Share, like, subscribe, or follow. Share this podcast link with someone else by text, email, or word of mouth in the hopes that they might be uplifted as you were. Like by leaving a positive rating or review with whomever you listen to our podcast with. Subscribe to support the show monetarily with the link in our podcast description. Follow us on all our social media platforms. May God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice.