Dear Partner,

Have you ever noticed that Jesus uses the word "Father" twelve times in Matthew Chapter Six? God being a "Father" was a new concept to the Jewish mind. They had known God as the Lawgiver, Protector, and Provider of Israel.

Think about this: God had not had a son born of His Spirit on the earth since the first man Adam. Death entered into the spirit of Adam when he sinned and that death nature had been passed down through all generations until the supernatural birth of Jesus Christ. Finally, at long last, God had a SON on the earth with whom He could fellowship, Spirit to Spirit.

Jesus knew God as "Father." He also knew that within just a few short years, the new birth would be made available to these Jewish listeners. He was preparing them for the day when they could be born again, that is, be born of God's Spirit and enter into the "Kingdom of God" themselves. He knew that once they were born of the Spirit, they would be able to have fellowship with the Father, Spirit to reborn spirit, just as He already had fellowship with the Father.

Can you imagine what joy it brought to the Father's heart to have a true SON, born of the Spirit, on the earth to fellowship with? At that moment, Jesus Christ was the only Son the Father had on the earth with whom He could share the most intimate secrets of His heart. Think of how precious, how intimate, how personal that fellowship must have been.

But God's heart is truly that of a Father, and He desired to have many more Spirit born children on the earth to fellowship with. He desires to fill the earth [and heaven] with Spirit born sons and daughters. That's why He had promised Christ, through the covenant made with Abraham, that Christ, the Seed, would be "multiplied as the stars of heaven." God had sworn to Abraham,

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed [Christ] as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

When each of us were born again, that "Spirit LIFE" that was in Christ Jesus was imparted unto us. Christ was "multiplied" in each of us, just as the Father had promised. God does not consider us to be just "forgiven sinners," still having the nature of spiritual death in us passed down from Adam. No, the bible says we are "new creatures." We have been born of the Spirit of God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have become literal, actual, Spirit born children of God Himself.

Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Contrary to what "religion" may have taught you, God our Father delights in you! For centuries He longed for the day when the earth would be replenished with many sons and daughters who were born of His Spirit with whom He could fellowship. You are the "apple of His eye."

He wants to be involved with every aspect of your life. That's why, three times in Matthew Chapter Six, Jesus instructed us to do what we do for the kingdom "in secret," to be seen and known only between us and our Father. This is intimate fellowship, a co-laboring together between the Father and His children. We need not seek the praise of men when we can have the praise of our Father.

Joy, peace, and fulfillment are born out of this intimate relationship between us and our Father. This is the peace that passes all understanding as our communion and fellowship with Him becomes our greatest Treasure. This fellowship, this "one-ness" between us and our Father is the true Treasure that we are to heap up. Thieves cannot break through and steal it, neither can moth nor rust corrupt it.

The apostle John had spent a lifetime enjoying this level of fellowship. History tells us that he suffered many evil circumstances as he served the kingdom as an apostle of Jesus Christ. But his fellowship with the Father and the Son had been so rich, so full of peace, so full of joy that near the end of his life he wrote,

1 John 1:3-4 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

John's joy remained full no matter what circumstances came against him. Would you like for your joy to be full today? Would you like to have peace that is so rock-solid that the storms of life cannot disturb it? Would you like to store up more Treasure in heaven? Spend some time with your Father today. He delights to hear your voice. He delights in you.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Thank you for your gift to GCM. Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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