The New Name for God, Pt. 3

It has been very difficult to write Part 3, thus the long delay in posting. It was easy to identify the problem in Part 2, regarding bad earthly father images being transferred to God, but writing about the way to healing can easily sound trite. It was a very difficult journey for me. It’s always about forgiveness. That is step one through step one million. We are constantly forgiving as each layer of pain and each memory is submitted to Jesus and peeled off. Eventually, we will get to the core. I haven't gotten there yet, but I think I’m close.

I was very fortunate to have attended the Mission Viejo Vineyard in the late eighties and sat under Ed Piorek’s ministry on the Fatherhood of God. For two years, week after week, we heard about the Father’s love. Almost the whole time my wounded heart was annoyed because that was all he would teach. I said, “Can’t this guy talk about anything else?” I’m so glad he didn't! Getting a good foundation in the Father’s love takes years of listening to the teaching of truth, correcting of lies, and experiencing God’s presence.

One Sunday, after almost two years of this, (not that it will take this long for you, this was my journey) while I was getting prayer behind the curtain (thank you Eric Martin), all of a sudden, like a vision, I saw myself as a child in His lap as He held me. I was overwhelmed with His love and starting sobbing and saying, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy", over and over again. I wish I could say it was the once and for all healing experience, but it was just the beginning. However, it was a turning point. It took many years of inner healing, counseling, prayer and reading everything I could on the subject to pull out of the quicksand I was in. I’m still in process. I have not arrived. I’m still learning and growing and experiencing. It has become my life message and focus of ministry.

(Btw, the Mission Viejo Vineyard is now the Laguna Niguel Vineyard, wonderfully led by Mike and Janiece Hudgins. Definitely a place to go for healing and encounters with the Father’s love if you live in Southern California.)

There aren't 5 or 10 easy steps. Everyone is different; every experience is different. But if the following elements are consistently involved, healing will eventually take place. Here they are in no particular order:

Find and attend a place of worship where God’s presence is honored and experienced.
Recognize God is always good - He is a good Father, even better than the good one you might have had, and certainly not like the bad ones. Most people intellectually know this but not often in their hearts.
Realize that God is always much more loving, kinder, and patient than we think.
Forgive, forgive, forgive - our earthly fathers and those in authority over us who did hurtful things. You will need help walking through this! There are so many layers and so many methods of getting through it. I highly recommend Linda Forster’s booklet, Forgiveness: Gateway to Healing.
Get ministry from anointed and knowledgeable prayer counsellors
Repent of any judgments or vows made (judgments are when we act as judge and jury about someone - their character, their nature, their punishment - as opposed to just dealing with their behavior. Vows are when we determine, articulate, promise we will never be like them or do certain things, etc.) Again, you also will need help walking through this.
Keep confessing the truth of what God is really like - always good, always loving, always fair, always kind, always has our best in mind, etc.
Break off any demonic infiltration. Have a prayer partner for this.
Keep seeking God for a fresh encounter with His love.
Read all you can about these things. Listen and watch all the teachings you can.

I hope something I said might lead you to an encounter with the Father's love.

"Nothing can separate you from God's love!" Romans 8

The list of resources below is far from being a thorough list, but its a good start. These will lead you to others.

Books:

The Father Loves You by EdPiorek;

Experiencing Father's Embrace and Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship by Jack Frost;

Unmasking the Great Pretender by Linda Forster;

Healing the Orphan Spirit by Leif Hetland;

The Importance of Forgiveness by John Arnot.

CDs, DVDs:

Go to Amazon or Youtube to catch many of the above authors’ teachings.

Ministries: