Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward

you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and

not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go

and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto

you. (KJV)

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye

shall search for me with all your heart.

Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD:

and I will turn away your captivity, and I

will gather you from all the nations....

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT GOD THINKS OF YOU? IS

IT HARD FOR YOU TO BELIEVE THAT HE LOVES YOU AS MUCH AS

THE BIBLE SAYS HE DOES? ONE OF THE MOST WONDEFUL REVE-

LATIONS IN THE BIBLE IS THAT GOD IS YOUR LOVING

HEAVENLY FATHER. WHATN DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR

THE WORD FATHER? SOME OF YOU WILL NATURALLY PROCESS

THAT WORD BASED ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR EARTHLY

FATHER AND THAT IS WHY WE NEED A FRESH REVELATION OF

OUR PERFECT, INFINITELY LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath

bestowed upon us, that we should be called

the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth

us not, because it knew him not. (KJV)

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God

toward us, because that God sent his only

begotten Son into the world, that we might

live through him. (KJV)

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but

that he loved us, and sent his Son to be

the propitiation for our sins. (KJV)

2 Cor 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath

reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,

and hath given to us the ministry of

reconciliation; (KJV)

2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling

the world unto himself, not imputing their

trespasses unto them; and hath committed

unto us the word of reconciliation. (KJV)

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But

when he was yet a great way off, his father

saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and

fell on his neck, and kissed him. (KJV)

Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have

sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and

am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring

forth the best robe, and put it on him; and

put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his

feet: (KJV)

Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill

it; and let us eat, and be merry: (KJV)

LIKE THE FATHER OF THE PRODIGAL SON, GOD INITIATED

A PLAN OF SALVATION FOR ALL OF MANKIND--HE TOOK THE

FIRST STEPS TOWARDS SINFUL MAN BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT

LOVE WHEREWITH HE HAS LOVED US. GOD IS THE AUTHOR AND

ORIGNATOR OF OUR SALVATION AND IS THEREBY CALLED

FATHER. GOD NEVER CALLS HIMSELF MOTHER AND THERE IS A

REASON FOR THAT. HE ALWAYS CALLS HIMSELF FATHER

BECAUSE THE HEBREW WORD FOR FATHER LITERALLY MAENS THE

SOURCE. THE FATHER OF A THING IS THE SOURCE OF IT.

THIS HEBREW WORD FOR FATHER ALSO MEANS SUSTAINER AND

THEN PROVIDER; THE SOURCE OF IDENTITY AND THEN PROTECT-

OR, NOURISHER AND SUPPLIER. GOD IS OUR FATHER IN THE

SENSE THAT HE IS THE SOURCE AND THE ORIGNIATOR OF OUR

SALVATION.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is

from above, and cometh down from the Father

of lights, with whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

WHAT KIND OF HEAVENLY FATHER DO YOU SERVE? AGAIN,

WHAT KIND OF THOUGHTS DOES HE THINK TOWARDS YOU.

ACCORDING TO OUR OPENING TEXT IN JER.29, GOD'S THOUGHTS

TOWARDS US AND OF US ARE GOOD. WHAT HE'S SAYING IS

THAT, "I'M NOT INCLINED TO BE THINKING EVIL, JUDGEMENT

AND CHASTICEMENT TOWARD YOU. I'M THINKING GOOD

THOUGHTS--I'M AT WORK PLANNING YOUR LIFE! STAND STILL

AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. SOAK IN MY LOVE.!"

NOW THAT'S THE KIND OF HEAVENLY FATHER WE SERVE. HE

DOES NOT HARBOR EVIL THOUGHTS OF VENGENCE TOWRDS US.

HE HAS GOOD THOUGHTS TOWRDS US, THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND

HOPE THAT WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE END.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS A GIVING GOD AND A FORGIVING

GOD AND HE DELIGHTS TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO HIS CHILDREN

BECAUSE THEY ARE SPECIAL IN HIS EYES. GOD REVEALS HIM-

SELF IN THE BIBLE AS A GENTLE FORGIVING FATHER, INIMAT-

ELY INVOLVED WITH EAH AND EVERY DETAIL OF OUR LIVES.

WE OFTEN FORGET THAT GOD'S ATTRIBUTES OF OMNISIENCE AND

OMNIPRESENCE MAKES HIM NOT ONLY CREATOR BUT A PERFECT

HEAVENLY FATHER THAT IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH EVERY

DETAIL OF OUR LIVES. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR

HEAVENLY FATHER IS DEEPLY MOVED, AFFECTED AND TOUCHED

BY THE PRESSURES, PROBLEMS AND PERSONAL HEARTBREAK THAT

WE AS HIS CHILDREN GO THROUGH. HE REMAINS CONSTANT IN

HIS MERCY AND GRACE TOWARDS US.

Psalms 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy,

O LORD, held me up. (KJV)

Psalms 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me

thy comforts delight my soul. (KJV)

Ps 59:16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing

aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou

hast been my defence and refuge in the day of

my trouble. (KJV)

Ps 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is

everlasting; and his truth endureth to all

generations. (KJV)

Ps 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to

anger, and plenteous in mercy. (KJV)

Ps 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;

slow to anger, and of great mercy. (KJV)

Ps 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender

mercies are over all his works. (KJV)

THE WORD TENDER MERCY LIT. MEANS TO HAVE A GOOD

HEART TOWARDS SOMEONE ELSE, TO BE SENSITIVE TO OTHERS

FEELINGS AND NEEDS; SYMPATHETIC AND COMPASSIONATE.

GOD'S MERCIES FLOW FROM A HEART THAT IS SENSITIVE

TOWARDS OUR NEEDS. THIS WORD TENDER IS AN EFFEMIN-

ATE TERM DENOTING THE NURTURING LOVE OF A MOTHER.

NORMAN SNAITH HAS DEFINED MERCY AS STUBBORN LOVE. WE

NEED TO SEE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AS BEING STUBBORN IN

LOVING US. MERCY REJOICES OVER JUDGEMENT. WE ALWAYS

THINK THAT GOD IS STUBBORN IN HIS JUDGEMENT AND CHOOSES

TO AFFLICT US RATHER THAN FORGIVE US AND HEAL US. WE

NEED TO SEE THAT GOD IS STUBBORN IN HIS LOVE AND MERCY

TOWARDS US AS HIS CHILDREN. HIS THOUGHTS TOWARDS US

ARE GOOD AND HE DELIGHTS IN GIVING GOOD GIFTS TO HIS

CHILDREN.

Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I

say unto you, Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat; neither for the body,

what ye shall put on. (KJV)

Luke 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is

more than raiment. (KJV)

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow

nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor

barn; and God feedeth them: how much more

are ye better than the fowls? (KJV)

Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add

to his stature one cubit? (KJV)

Luke 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing

which is least, why take ye thought for the

rest? (KJV)

Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil

not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you,

that Solomon in all his glory was not

arrayed like one of these. (KJV)

Luke 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to

day in the field, and to morrow is cast into

the oven; how much more will he clothe you,

O ye of little faith? (KJV)

Luke 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what

ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful

mind. (KJV)

Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the

world seek after: and your Father knoweth

that ye have need of these things. (KJV)

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and

all these things shall be added unto you.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your

Father's good pleasure to give you the

kingdom. (KJV)

WE ARE RELATED TO GOD BY BIRTH AS REGENREATED SONS AND DAUGHTERS

OF GOD AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AGAIN TO FEAR

BUT WE HAVE RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION WHEREBY WE CRY ABBA FATHER.

THE SPIRIT OF REGENERATION WAS ACTIVE THE MOMENT WE WERE BORN AGAIN.

THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION HAPPENS THE MOMENT WE HAVE RECEIVE THE FILIA

SENSE, IE. THAT WE ARE THE CHLDREN OF GOD AND THAT HE IS INDEED, OUR

ABBA FATHER. KNOWING THIS RESULTS IN CONFIDENCE AND BOLDNESS IN OUR

APPROACH TO FATHER GOD AND FAITH TO RECEIVE FROM HIM. WON'T YOU

OPEN YOUR HEART TO HIM AND RECEIVE AFRESH THAT SPIRIT OF ADOPTION!