Although not all of us have or had earthly fathers on Purpose, God has strategically placed other good fathers in our lives and so as we consider fathers on purpose think of that guy, maybe an uncle or a grandfather or a coach, boss or neighbor. That guy that you knew you were the apple of his eye, his favorite. Every man bears the image of God in his own unique way so each man has a special sauce, a sweet spot, something that he can do where he can feel God’s pleasure while doing it and all the world gets a unique glimpse of the Heavenly Father. It’s God’s glory reflected in that man and I am certain that every man has it if you look for it, then you will see something the angels long to see. Essentially that’s man’s purpose to reflect God. What is more than cool to me is when that father or father figure calls you up into the adventure and I’m guessing if you think back you will see what I am talking about, walking with a man in his glory is a touch of heaven, especially if he is your father or father figure.

For me my earthly father had several recreational things like fishing that took me on that trip to heaven but the one that meant the most to me was to be initiated into the family business, his love for the retail automobile business. Very specifically my father was tremendously gifted in understanding the operational numbers associated with a well run car dealership, that may sound boring but let me tell you when you see a man in his glory it’s anything but that, a tree sounds boring but to see one in full leaves, branches and fruit is by all means a taste of heaven.

My dad learned his trade working for Buick Motor Division helping dealers as a district manager, then promoted many times at one point he was the business manager over the Chicago Zone, as you might imagine hundreds of dealers and looking at hundreds of financial statements. The last 30 years of his automotive career he owned and ran ‘Management Performance Groups’ a company where he would look at the dealer clients operational statements and then bring them in groups of twenty to discuss by comparison how to improve their business.

Here’s the part where the son gets to touch heaven. I can remember even as a young boy my father would be looking at a dealer’s statement and call me over to show me what he saw. He would say, “look right here son you see where this dealer’s warranty claims receivable is four times his monthly warranty sales, this guy needs a new warranty clerk or he’s putting in bogus claims.” WOW!! Really dad you can see all that just by looking at all those numbers, how do you know that. Later in life I got to sit in those meetings with the dealers and see my dad in all his glory. We even did some consulting together for a time with a joint client friend.  This is no fluke, God had this planned all along as we see in the anointing of Jesus into the family business.

Isaiah 11:1-3 we see prophetically how Jesus would get a seven fold anointing that shows much of what God had in mind for the family business.

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

I get to bring the father’s day message at Peace Church in Durham tomorrow where I will go into all seven but for right now I am just looking at #3 there, the spirit of Counsel. In Hebrew that word is formed from a sense of purpose, so Jesus would be anointed to guide his sheep into their purpose as does a good father. As David explained in the 23rd Psalm the good shepherd keeps his sheep on their purpose. “He makes them lie down in green pastures.” David’s sheep’s purpose was to be healthy sacrifices, meaning that had to eat and sleep and drink, well, no blemishes.

During WWII there were thousands of orphaned London children  roaming the streets literally starving, when the children were rescued and brought to orphanages, although there was food to eat the children couldn’t sleep for fear of their next meal. A wise shepherd taught them to give each child a piece a bread to hold through the night so they would not fret about their next meal and you guessed it they all went off to sleep. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures“, as strange as it sounds at first a sheep is honored to offer it’s life for you, its his purpose and to be doing what pleases God is the sheep’s glory and the good shepherd knows it.

Now my exact purpose or glory is not my dad’s, however the good father longs to have his son beside him in his work and adventure, its a model of a heavenly truth and to see your dad, grandfather , uncle, coach in his glory and walk with him in it is a gift a precious taste of heaven to cherish… What’s your memory? Share it on today’s show June 17, 2017 at 10am ET call 866-348-7884