Messianic Perspectives

Liz Aiello: There is so much to learn about our Father's love, much more than just an intellectual understanding. We'll talk about it today, right here on Messianic Perspectives. Shalom, and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Aiello. Today, our Bible teacher, Pastor Al Runji, is discussing the love of our Heavenly Father. I'll be back at the close of the program to tell you about our special offer. And now, here's Pastor Runji.

Al Runji: Thank you for tuning in. I'm speaking on a series about the love of our Heavenly Father. In my first message, I spoke on the yearning love of our Heavenly Father for children. In my second message, I spoke on the sacrificial love of our Heavenly Father. Listen to God's word in Hebrews 9:26. But now, once at the end of the ages, he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. In my third message, I spoke on the life-giving love of our Heavenly Father. He has fathered us with a new, holy, and eternal nature, which is in the very image of His Son Jesus. In my fourth message, I spoke on the nurturing love of our Heavenly Father.

He faithfully nourishes us with His abiding presence, with His provisions, and with His discipline. The Word of God tells us in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Now I want to talk to you about our Heavenly Father's guiding love. Listen to the Word of God in Psalm 32, verse 8. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. In other words, he's watching over us in order to guide us. Listen to the next verse, in verse 9. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding.

We're not to be like an impatient and ignorant horse that wants to run ahead of his rider, nor are we to be like a stubborn mule that doesn't want to follow his master's direction. Those animals don't have understanding about their master like we do. So understand this truth that our Heavenly Father knows the best way for us to go in life. I am now 76 years old, and as I look back at the past crossroads of my life, I realize that I did not understand at the time why he led me as he did, but now I know he was always right. I'm glad I followed his directions. Now, there were a few times that I decided I knew better and I went the wrong way, but listen, it was always a mistake.

The good news is that the Lord always got me back on the best road for my life. Our Heavenly Father has the perfect plan for your life, so don't be like a horse that runs ahead of him, and don't be like a mule that stubbornly holds back. God allows us the freedom to choose whether we would follow his guidance or not. For example, God had a wonderful plan for the life of Samson even before he was conceived. An angel from heaven told a woman of God's plan in Judges 13, verse 3. Indeed, now you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

God gave their son Samson great extraordinary physical strength to defeat the Philistines, but Samson failed to complete his assignment in the end because of his lust for pagan women. He disobeyed God's word about sexual purity. Samson allowed himself to be deceived by Delilah, his pagan wife. He broke his covenant with God by telling Delilah of his Nazarite vow. With his strength gone, his enemies tied him up, plucked out his eyes, and chained him to a wheel to grind out their grain. In the end, Samson prayed to God to forgive him and allow him to take vengeance on God's enemies as well as his own enemies.

God heard him and strengthened him, and in his death he destroyed the entire elite of his enemies in the destruction of their temple. God's complete plan for Samson was frustrated through disobedience. We can reject God's plan for our lives, and too often we insist on our own way until God finally says, okay, you can go for it. Listen, when young people come to me and tell me that they are dating unbelievers, I warn them to take God's word seriously. The word of God tells us in 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14, do not be yoked together with unbelievers, for what do righteousness and wickedness have in common, or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

And what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? You don't need a fleece to determine God's will. Follow the word of God. I can't tell you how many women and men have wept in my office telling me of the hardships of being married to unbelievers. Divided parents have an extremely difficult time bringing children up in the faith. When I was a new believer, I asked the Lord to choose my soulmate. My senior year at Houghton College, God spoke to me, and I had an insight that the woman I was going to marry, the one that God had chosen, was on campus, and I met Lee, a transfer student from Buffalo State University.

We talked a lot about Bible prophecy, and I could see she had interest in God's word. I asked her to go steady with me after our first date, which meant a guaranteed Friday night date for the entire semester. She said going steady meant more to her than dating. It meant becoming engaged to be engaged. I said, well, I have to pray about that. And while in prayer, God gave me an assurance that she was the right one. Lee, however, wasn't ready to say yes until she heard me preach. We've been married for 51 years. I am so thankful for a godly wife that knows how to touch heaven through prayer. It is important for us to believe that our Heavenly Father wants our lives to have genuine significance.

He has a specific plan for each and every one of us. I used to ask children, what do you want to be when you grow up? And they gave all kinds of answers, a policeman, a fireman, an engineer, a cowboy. I don't ask children that question anymore. Rather, I ask them, what does God want you to be when you grow up? And they all answer they don't know. Of course, I understand that, but at least I got them thinking about it. I then tell them that God had a plan for their future. It was a perfect plan for them, and if they trust him, they will have true meaning in life. You know, the ancient Greeks sought to understand what was the highest good in life to pursue.

But long before those Greek philosophers were alive, an ancient Jewish king wrote about his personal search for the highest good in life. The book of Ecclesiastes is a personal testimony of King Solomon's pursuit for the highest good in life. First, he thought the highest good was the pursuit of wisdom. Listen to what he had to say about it in Ecclesiastes 1, verse 16. I commune with my heart, saying, look, I have attained greatness and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge, and I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly.

I perceived, however, that this is also grasping for the wind, for in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. Solomon then thought about the highest good being the acquisition of riches, so he became very wealthy and powerful. Then he thought the highest good was in the pursuit of personal pleasures, and he didn't deny himself anything. Then he pursued satisfaction in achieving by achieving the building of cities, and listen to what he found out in all his worldly pursuits. He says, said in Ecclesiastes 12:8, vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity.

What is the highest good in life? What should we pursue in life? In the last chapter of Solomon's search for meaning, he got it right. He concluded his search with the words that are found in Ecclesiastes 12, verse 13. Now all has been heard. Here is a conclusion of the matter of the highest good in life. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. There is an end to all worldly pursuits because of our human mortality, and there is a time of accountability. We don't have to make the same mistakes in life that Solomon did because God's word is available to us, and his spirit is ready to direct us throughout.

Listen to what God's Word says in Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led of the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." So when you become a child of God, the Holy Spirit comes within you, and He will guide you in life. When I became a child of God, I thought I had nothing to offer to God. I wondered, why would He want me in His family when I had so many deficiencies? I was an asthmatic with many allergies. I had poor eyesight, and I flunked out of high school. I thought I had no meaningful future, so I suggested to my Heavenly Father that since I would be useless in his kingdom, he should take me to heaven right there when I was only 14 and a half in order to save him and myself the embarrassment of failure.

And you know, God spoke to my heart. I heard him. He said, I want to show you what I can do with your life. Then I volunteered to serve the Lord. I said, Lord, you've called many intelligent and personable people to serve you, and some have turned you down. I want to volunteer to take one of their places. Sometime later, God said to me, you cannot serve me without an education. I replied, Lord, you know how dumb I am, but if you open the door of opportunity for an education, I'll go through that door. I promise never to quit, but if I fail my courses, then Father, forgive me and understand I'll do my best.

God opened the door for me, and I went through it, and I discovered an important principle that God will never ask anyone to do anything he can't do, but he may do that. If he does, he will give that person the ability to do it. I graduated high school, went on to Bible college, university, and seminary, and I still take continuous education courses every year because learning is a lifetime endeavor. God gave me the desire and the ability to learn. Since then, I have had the privilege to serve him in one successful ministry after another. Our Heavenly Father wants to guide you right through your life.

Will you allow him to guide you? Listen to God's word in Proverbs 3, verse 6. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. God has a plan for your life, and if you seek him with all your heart, he will direct your paths through life. You'll be glad you trusted in the guiding love of our Heavenly Father. God bless you.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Pastor Runji. You've been listening to Albert Runji, our associate Bible teacher here on Messianic Perspectives, and his discussion of Exploring the Love of Our Heavenly Father. You'll be glad to know we've placed the entire series on one convenient CD. It's available for a gift of just $6 or more to the Ministry of Messianic Perspectives. Just ask for Pastor Al Runji's series titled Exploring the Love of our Heavenly Father. Visit our secure online store at Messianicspecialties.com to place your order. If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, PO Box 345, San Antonio, Texas, 78292.

To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397. And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Pastor Al Runji continues our series of studies on exploring the love of our Heavenly Father, right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the free will contributions of our listeners in this area.