Fathers are unique conduits of Father God’s characteristics to the world. We need to know what Father God is like and earthly Fathers help us see Him!

God created Fathers to be the first lesson to children on His characteristics. For this reason, the devil has attacked and largely succeeded in destroying the office of father, the image of father, even men in general in our country. We are told there are no differences between a father and a mother. Fathers are made fun of in TV comedies. We read almost daily how the genders are not important. None of this is true. It is a direct attack not just on men but on the image of Father God.

The prophet Malachi said in Malachi 4:5, “Behold I’m going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord: And he’ll restore the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers so they don’t come and smite the land with a curse.”

I believe that one sign of the revival to come is revealing who Father God is. One of the primary ways to do this is through earthly fathers. As earthly fathers get to know Father God, they will reveal Him to others beginning with their own children. This will bring fathers back to their children and children to their fathers. This will bring peace, love, and stability to homes and communities.

Without this father conduit a curse comes on the land. I believe our country now has this curse. Fathers are not just people. They were created to bring something into the earth. When they do not bring this, the earth suffers.

America is a fatherless country. I am sure you have seen the statistics, but here is a highlight. Let these statistics show you that a child needs a father! It is not optional or an old thought that has outlived its usefulness. God has created the family to need a mother and a Father. Without it the consequences to children and eventually society is catastrophic. We are now in a catastrophe.

• In 1950, less than 5% of all children were born out of wedlock in America. In 2017, the following percentages were born out of marriage, 70% of black children, 50% of Hispanic children, 39% of white children.
• 90% of American inmates are now men. 75% of all inmates grew up without a father.
• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
• 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
• 85% of children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes.
• 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.

The only way to reverse the curse is to return to the blueprint of how God setup society in the first place. Restore the family with a mother anda father. These are some of the things fathers walking with God provide to children?

Fathers Give Value

Fathers give purpose because their children see their fathers get up every day and go to work. They give that money they earn to their children to give them a better life. They don’t spend it on themselves. They spend it on education, food, clothes, transportation, and a place to live.

Whey they live sacrificially and pray over their kids it gives them purpose. When they are faithful to one woman – the woman who gave them birth – it gives them purpose. It says to the child I must be valuable! I must be worth something! It reinforces to them I am created in the image of my Father, He cares for me.

When they become Christians, they don’t have a hard time realizing they are created in the image of Father God. They don’t ever feel abandoned because their physical father who they were created in the image of didn’t abandon them.

Fathers Give Protection

Fathers are protectors. But they are more than someone to run off robbers. Fathers are protectors of life. Fathers pray over their family to be protected spirit, soul, and body. They pray over, guide, look out for their family’s spirit, soul, and body to grow and mature and be safe. They monitor what comes in the home, in the reading material, on tv, who they date, who are their friends, etc.

The reason we have the majority of abortions is because fathers are only interested in women for sex and don’t see how their role is an opportunity to bring life into the world like God does. The lack of responsibility for their actions encourages abortion. Many women would birth their children if they knew the father would protect, provide, and promote the child.

Fathers Give Purpose

Fathers help children discover their identity and purpose. They pray about their future. They seek wisdom based on the child’s skill set and personality. They seek words of wisdom, prophecy, and knowledge.

They answer sexual identity questions when the inevitable confusion comes at puberty. Dad comes to the forefront and he says, “This is your identity and purpose. This is how and why God created you as a boy or girl. This is your future.”

Fathers Give Confidence

We were all created to conquer, but men have a large dose!

Genesis 1:26 (NIV 1984) 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Conquering is biblical. We need to bring the principles of the kingdom into all of society. Fathers help sons to know how to conquer in the right way. This avoids ‘toxic masculinity’ that is much of the news today. He does this by example. As a child gets older he is reminded of his father’s example and this gives him a path forward. This keeps him from quitting when times get hard because he knows his father did it.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Fathers Give Discipline

I am not talking about punishment for deeds done wrong. I am talking about how to be disciplined in life to be successful. Remember when I said behavioral problems are much worse when there are no fathers?

You know the number 1 way we do this as Fathers? Not by harsh discipline. We do this by the way we live. We live disciplined and structured lives. We model it. We say this is what it means to be a man to a boy and an adult to all our children. By our modeling, by our fruits of the Holy Spirit, by our self control, we say this is what it means to be successful, to live long, and to increase the possibilities of happiness.

Conclusion

Much of society lacks identity and value, purpose, protection, confidence and discipline. The revival is coming and God is restoring the fathers back to the children to reverse the curse and bring blessings again.