{"id":2960,"date":"2018-12-06T16:32:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T16:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/?p=2960"},"modified":"2018-12-06T16:32:17","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T16:32:17","slug":"purposeful-and-plentiful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/2018\/12\/06\/purposeful-and-plentiful\/","title":{"rendered":"A daughter&#8217;s thoughts: God is &#8220;Purposeful&#8221; and &#8220;Plentiful&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\">Renewal<\/h3>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><em>&#8220;And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/esv\/philippians\/4-19.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philippians 4:19<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Over the course of this year, God has been realigning, renewing and refreshing my life, and one of the ways is through the ministry of <em>Abiding<\/em> Fathers. From being daughter, to donor, to ministry assistant, I\u2019ve been \u201cseated at the doorstep\u201d to witness the \u201cglorious deeds of the Lord\u201d with new and increased opportunities for the ministry of <em>Abiding<\/em> Fathers to reach more fathers, families and future generations. This means even more to me when you know I am daughter to Bill Dotson, founder of <em>Abiding <\/em>Fathers.<\/p>\n<p>Since saying \u201cYes Lord\u201d, He has led me into purposeful meetings with my Dad, current and incoming board members and supporters of <em>Abiding<\/em> Fathers. <strong>We have all sensed God\u2019s plentiful grace, opening doors, hearts, and heaven in greater ways, always with a mindset to remain \u201cabiding in the Vine\u201d.<\/strong> This isn\u2019t a work of man, or a marketing strategy<strong>. It is our Abiding Father working out His Plan through His people.<\/strong> And as God always does, His gifts are multiplied, for He was also giving me time with my earthly abiding father.<\/p>\n<p>It has been a treasure to hear and witness how God continues to abide in my Dad\u2019s life. The call is real \u2013 to see <strong>God turn the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers.<\/strong> It is also precious to see my own father purposely living out his life verse (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/esv\/matthew\/6-33.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt. 6:33<\/a>) \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God\u201d, and passing the baton \u201cFrom Faith to Faith\u201d to the next generation.<\/p>\n<p>So, I say this with all assurance <strong><em>\u2013 <\/em>\u201cHe\u2019s doing this unto the Lord and for you, younger dads.\u201d<\/strong> Not for himself or any personal pursuit or glory. He is responding to the burden God has placed on his heart to lead fathers to God\u2019s Word <strong>so that the next generation might know and set their hope in God.<\/strong>\u00a0 As I have spent time meditating on the Ministry Principles of Abiding Fathers this year, they are now planted on my mind, heart and tongue.\u00a0 (From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/esv\/psalms\/78.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psalm 78:1-8<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;\u2026We will not hide them from their children, but <strong>tell to the coming generation<\/strong> the <strong>glorious deeds of the LORD<\/strong>, and His might, and <strong>the wonders that He has done<\/strong>\u2026which He commanded our fathers, to teach to their children, <strong>that the next generation might know them<\/strong>, the children yet unborn, and rise and tell them to their children<strong>, so that they should set their hope in God.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is <strong>God\u2019s <em>purposeful<\/em> Word<\/strong>, spoken from <strong>God\u2019s <em>plentiful<\/em> heart<\/strong>, to see fathers abiding in Him. And it has been my Dad&#8217;s way of life for as long as I can remember. From seeking the LORD in His word and prayer early in the morning, Dad has carried God\u2019s truths to his marriage of 60 years, to his family and grandchildren, and to fathers in churches, prisons, and homeless shelters both here and abroad. These disciplines, being passed down through time, teaching and discipleship, are <strong>visible in the multi-generational, cross-cultural connections and relationships being established and growing through the ministry of <em>Abiding <\/em>Fathers. <\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Encouraging and equipping<\/h3>\n<p>Can you think of a more <strong><em>purposeful<\/em><\/strong> endeavor than <strong>helping men know their Abiding Father in Christ<\/strong> and then helping encourage and equip them to become abiding fathers for their marriages, families and future generations? That\u2019s the <strong><em>mission of Abiding Fathers, to \u201cencourage, equip and engage men in developing their God-ordained leadership role as fathers in order to make disciples for the Gospel of Christ.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Col-Allen-West-address-crowd-at-Legacy-Luncheon.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2966\" src=\"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Col-Allen-West-address-crowd-at-Legacy-Luncheon.jpg\" alt=\"Col Allen West addressing crowd at Legacy Luncheon\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As (Ret.) Lt. Col. Allen B. West so eloquently spoke at the Abiding Fathers Legacy Luncheon recently, men must understand that we are just part of a greater vine, and this happens as men know true north themselves, by abiding in the vine. West read from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/esv\/john\/15.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John 15<\/a> and then stated that then, and only then, can men be real <strong>MEN<\/strong>, <strong>M<\/strong>otivators, <strong>E<\/strong>ducators and <strong>N<\/strong>avigators for their families and for the next generation.<\/p>\n<p>Our Abiding Father is both <strong><em>purposeful<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>plentiful<\/em><\/strong>. His plans are perfect and His riches are inexhaustible. And He has given us His most generous gift, His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might know Him and abide in Him always. <strong>The Lord is using <em>Abiding<\/em> Fathers to carry His Word to fathers in churches, schools, prisons, Father\u2019s Forums, and in one to one discipleship, counseling, both in English and Spanish speaking countries.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Will you now ask the LORD how He would have you steward the plentiful gifts He has entrusted to you to sow into His Kingdom? I am asking the LORD to raise one hundred new <em>Abiding <\/em>Partners to come alongside and support this ministry with time, talents and financial resources<em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Your most generous gift right now to the ministry of Abiding Fathers is a multi-generational investment with eternal rewards that will help equip and transform fathers, families and future generations for the sake of His glorious Name!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Plentiful riches in Christ Jesus<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019m so grateful to God for my Dad, and for your faithful support in this purposeful work<strong><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>As stated in the opening Scripture above, the ESV footnote reads &#8220;those who are generous toward God will find that he is generous toward them and will supply their every need&#8230;in Christ Jesus&#8221;. Together, may we give\u00a0<strong>out of His plentiful riches in Christ Jesus<\/strong>\u00a0to help supply many more fathers with life-giving Truth and continue passing the baton of faith that will bear much fruit for future generations.<\/p>\n<p>To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n<p>P.S. A few years ago, I was able to be near a precious woman in her final days on earth.\u00a0 I was given her framed quote from Patrick Henry\u2019s will that I keep before me as a daily reminder of what matters most.<\/p>\n<p>It reads \u201cI have now disposed of all my assets and property to my family.\u00a0 There is one more thing I wish I could give them, and that is faith in Jesus Christ.\u00a0 If they had that, and I had not given them one schilling, they would be rich. And if I had not given them that, and given them the whole world, they would be poor indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for sowing into the hearts of fathers, families and future generations with your most generous gift to <em>Abiding<\/em> Fathers for His glory!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renewal &#8220;And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.&#8221;\u00a0 Philippians 4:19 Over the course of this year, God has been realigning, renewing and refreshing my life, and one of the ways is through the ministry of Abiding Fathers. From being daughter, to donor, to ministry [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[109,88,74,75,136],"class_list":["post-2960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blessing","tag-authority","tag-encouragement","tag-everlasting-father","tag-scripture","tag-serving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}