The Fatherhood of God

One of the greatest revelations in the Bible is the revelation of the FATHERHOOD of GOD. God, who is the Almighty, is also a loving Father to us. God has left the imprint of His fatherhood on every aspect of the entire universe.

The core thought of Fatherhood can be extracted from these two words: Father and Family. The word father in Greek is pater, where we get the word "paternal", and from the word pater came out the word patria which means "family".

A Father makes a family, and true family life in heaven and earth can only exist in the light of understanding the fatherhood of God.

Ephesians 3:14-15 (J.B. Philips) says, "As I think of this great plan I fall on my knees before the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name)." It tells us that Fatherhood did not begin on earth but in heaven. God is its origin. It did not begin with time, or human history; it began in eternity. He is a relational God, who values and treasures relationships. Indeed, when there is fatherhood, there is relationship.

One of the ultimate purpose of Jesus coming into the world is to reveal God as a loving Father (Matthew 11:27). His ministry was father-centered (John 5:43), and only through Jesus can we have a full revelation of who the Father God is (John 14:6).

The special name that Jesus gave to His disciples to address God is not "Jehovah", for Israel already knew that name for 1,500 years; But Jesus, as the Son, let those who would be identified with Him to call God as Father.

The name "Father" is the ultimate name of God. It describes the nature of God in His eternal character more perfectly and fully than anything else.

The Old Testament names God as "Father" only 4 times, but in the New Testament, He is called "Father" over 250 times. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring us to the Father. He is the way and God the Father is our final destination. (John 14:6). Jesus died for our sins; and not only that, but for Him to bring us to the Father. Ephesians 2:18 says, "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."

Significance, Self-worth and Security are things that come out of this revelation of God as our Father and the love He has for us. We are living in a "fatherless" generation - fathers are not fulfilling their responsibilities over their families and children. The absentee father is the curse of a modern-day family, and in the absence of real fatherhood, people search to satisfy the needs of security, self-worth and significance.

At the end of WW 1, many fathers died! In Germany, a penniless artist who could only climb up to the rank of a corporal rose up and said "Germany will be the new fatherland!". His target groups were the undirected, renegade youths who did not have a father at home. His name was ADOLF HITLER.

At the end of WW 2 in Russia, out of every 1,000 men who left for battle, 70 came back; and out of the 70, only 3 were still whole in one piece. In the midst of a fatherless nation, JOSEPH STALIN rose upon the scene. He appealed to the youths and offered to meet their needs of significance, self-worth and security. After that, communism spread throughout Russia.

"Who am I?" - It is a question all of us have asked ourselves at some point in time. But you will never know who you are until you know who your father is. A person who truly knows God as Father has no longer an identity problem. He knows who he is.

1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

The Father provides security. It is primarily in the arms of the father that a child feels it. A father must not merely love his children in his heart; he must outwardly express it.

What a wonderful revelation it is for a person to know that the God who created the whole universe loves him and cares for him as his Father.



Rev. Michael C. Bunye
He is the Senior Pastor of Jesus Faith Christian Fellowship Church Inc. (Imus, Cavite)
 a.k.a. FAITH CENTER IMUS.
With his wife Pastora Me-Ann Bunye (Senior Associate Pastor);
Their ministry is to reach and teach the people to get closer to God, meet their needs and help bring change in their lives through the Word of God. 

www.faithcenterimus.org

The Dominion Principles

The Dominion Principles
Pastora Me-Ann Bunye

 ..."Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Gen. 1:28 NKJV



Be fruitful
God expects us to be fruitful. The spirit man should reproduce after its own self. We are fruit bearing trees and because we have Jesus in us, we have been already made a good tree. Good tree only bears good fruit, as we can read on Matthew 12:33 "…for a tree is known by its fruit."
As water is to a tree so is the Word to a man. We abide in Jesus when we obey the Word and we will reach our maximum potential. Fruit of the Spirit is the result when you obey the Word and Work of the Flesh is the result when you disobey the Word, it doesn't come from your spirit. The awesome thing the Lord has done for us is that He does not see sin affecting your spirit, but only your flesh. He has completely saved your spirit.

Multiply
You cannot multiply without being fruitful first. People will be attracted to your fruit and partake of your fruit. The fruit's flesh will minister to flesh or the person and the seed will minister to the soil which is the heart. Your part is to sow and God will multiply and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Whatever seed you posses sow it through the fruits you have (e.g. love, joy, peace etc). The fruit (love) protects the seed (Word) until it is sown in the soil or heart of a man.

Subdue the earth
God called you into an abundant life and He has given you all authority to subdue the earth. To Subdue is to bring something/someone under forcible control; to tread - to trample on something, to crash and damage. In Hebrew it means "Kevesh" - footstool; to place your foot on the neck of your conquered enemy signifying a submission to his defender. The best example I can give you is David. David knows who he is in God and acted on it. He was a youth but he didn't allow it to hinder him but instead he trusted the Lord. He came in the name of the Lord against the Philistine, stirred-up the holy anger against them and stood over Goliath and cut-off his head and the enemies fled.
In the new covenant how do we subdue the enemy? First, you have to submit to God and to the knowledge of who He made you to be and you can see that in 1 Peter 2:9 says "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people….". Second, you have to resist the enemy and fight against it actively.

Put a stop to it! Stir-up a holy anger against the enemy. We have a promise from the Lord, hold on to it and declare it and it will surely come to pass. Don't use the creative power of your mouth against you, but instead speak life and use it for your advantage. Don't lend the enemy your power by talking negatively. Third, the enemy has no power, he is already defeated. He is like a roaring lion, only roaring and not a real lion.

The weapons of warfare are to cast down arguments, thoughts of fear, doubt and negativity into subjection to the Word of God. Speak to your mountain because the power has been given to us through Jesus. And lastly teach the Word and make disciples. God promised us safety, protection, deliverance and this is our sure confidence.

Have dominion
God has made us in His image to Rule and Reign. We have dominion over all created things. Jesus is our full potential and we must understand what we have in Christ. We have been given dominion over other people. Dominion means serving to be great and to be first. Just like Jesus, He came not to e served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.360 Degrees Leadership (Gen 1:26) speaks of how you can serve people around you!

www.faithcenterimus.org

God's Rest

God's Rest
by Pastor Mike Bunye

God wants us to enter His Rest. The rest that God gives is a spiritual rest that affects the physical. It is not the will of God that any should toil and sweat as in a "Rat-Race." Where a person devotes his entire life to non-stop labor to feed the family and supply his needs from the sweat of his brows. God wants us to trust in Him and enter into the rest He provides for all.

Entering God's Rest does not mean we do not do anything. It does not mean we are going to be lazy and we will just sit still. It means actively believing God and obeying His Word. This is quite different from the world's view. But this is also the main reason why the world has failed to enter in. Only as a person realizes God's provisions of everything in accordance to His will that he will be able to experience this.

Rest is available for all who believe. Rest will enable you to do more things for God. It is rest from the world system and entering into the system of God. Rest is giving up the world's way and giving in to God's ways. Rest also has a depth to it. One door leads to another door of a deeper level.
To enter God's Rest:

1. Be Diligent to Study the Word
Hebrews 4:11-12 "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts intents of the heart." The word is the key which opens the door of rest. It is also the constant companion one cannot be without because keeping the Word in our hearts keeps us from falling and from disobeying.

2. Hold fast to the Confession of Faith
Hebrews 4:14 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Knowing we have Jesus, let us not change our confession or profession of faith. It is what we should hold on to. Keeping the faith will enable us to enter that rest. We are not to be moved by what we see, hear, feel, touch or smell. We are to be moved only by the Word of God. This keeps us stable and fixed.

3. Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in ti me of need."

Knowing you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, we can come boldly, not helplessly, not desperately, not shamefully, but boldly to the throne of grace. It is the seat of grace and of power to help in time of need. This is the rest. When you come boldly, you finally find the rest you are searching for. Here in the throne of grace is where your total dependence on the Lord is manifested. It is not you but Christ in you that allowed you to enter. It is not your dependence on your strength but it is in your dependence on God's. It is a full understanding that without God you cannot do anything. Enter his rest today and receive the full benefits of what Jesus has done for us on the cross.

"When you are in Faith You are Resting"

Rev. Michael C. Bunye
He is the Senior Pastor of Jesus Faith Christian Fellowship Church Inc. (Imus, Cavite)
 a.k.a. FAITH CENTER IMUS.
With his wife Pastora Me-Ann Bunye (Senior Associate Pastor);
Their ministry is to reach and teach the people to get closer to God, meet their needs and help bring change in their lives through the Word of God. 

www.faithcenterimus.org

2011 - "The Year of God's Restoration!"
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Acts 3:19-21 (NKJV)

These passages speak of restoration of all things. The Amplified version says, "Complete restoration of all that God spoke." In fact, this reveals to us that the only thing that's holding the Father from sending Jesus is, there needs to be RESTORATION of ALL things. May it be concerning your family, relationships, finances, business deals and especially your health, all these will be restored.

2010 was the Year of God's Rest but it didn't end when 2010 ended. It's just the start and God's Rest will continue for all of us in the years to come. When we get rested the next thing that's going to happen is we're going to be restored. And so, 2011 is the Year of God's Restoration. Times of refreshing and restoration are available for all of us.

"Repent therefore and be converted," talks about a change of mind concerning what we believe so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. The refreshing of the Lord is permanent. How? Through the finished work of Jesus Christ! John 1:16 tells us that, "His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." Through the grace of God we have the best refreshing times.

Jesus is the only one who can truly refresh us. Jesus is the living water and the bread from heaven. With Him, you'll never get hungry and you'll never get thirsty. The Times of Refreshing is found in His presence.

Restoration means to bring back to its original condition. But God's definition of restoration is not only this but blesses you much more. When God restores, the minimum is twice as much than before. He never does less than twice fold. The Lord will restore you more than your previous state!

Even from the beginning it has been His plan that whatever has been stolen should be restored. Proverbs 11:31 says, "The righteous will be recompensed on the earth." Recompense in Hebrew means restored, rewarded, compensate, repay, reimburse, make up for. It simply means it is payback time! It's time for us to get offensive towards our adversary. Don't let the devil go easily. Demand him for payback! Demand your rights! Make him pay! The devil is the thief and he must pay you back seven times more than before according to Proverbs 6:30-31.

You are too expensive for the devil to mess with. He should think twice before he steals from you! The Christian that Satan fears the most is the Christian who knows his rights. If you know your rights as a child of God, he will fear you. So let the devil know that you know who you are in Christ. Be on the offensive side.

As we also look in Isaiah 66:12-14, we can see that the hand of God brings blessings to us but judgment to our adversary. For example, in one instant the hand of God restored the 430 years worth of pay due to His people, the Israelites, when they went out of Egypt. They plundered, meaning they acquired something by superior strength, the Egyptians' goods and they didn't leave Egypt empty handed. Jesus Christ's victory at the cross is expressed as the hand of God in judgment to the devil and blessing to us His people. We need to demand Satan to pay us back just like the Israelites demanded from the Egyptians.

The restoration available to us believers comes through the grace of God by the finished work of Jesus and our knowledge of the truth of who we are in Christ. This is our victory over the devil and now that we have it, we need to know our rights: what we have, who we are and what we can do through Him. As a child of God you are always positioned for victory!

2011 is the Year of God's Restoration. Receive Restoration for your health, your family, your children, your relationships, your finances and everything that belongs to you in the Kingdom of God!


Rev. Michael C. Bunye
He is the Senior Pastor of Jesus Faith Christian Fellowship Church Inc. (Imus, Cavite)
 a.k.a. FAITH CENTER IMUS.
With his wife Pastora Me-Ann Bunye (Senior Associate Pastor);
Their ministry is to reach and teach the people to get closer to God, meet their needs and help bring change in their lives through the Word of God. 

www.faithcenterimus.org