Good evening friends and blessings to all!
It’s been a while since we did an update and I wanted to address the very popular subject now all over face book and the theme of our group concerning spiritual fathers! And, I want to thank my colleagues and friends Apostle Michael Fram, Apostle Don Hughes, Apostle Don Crum, and several others for their many insights and wisdom concerning apostolic fathers!!
I do, however, see a trend in relating to Millenials and other younger apostles and spiritual sons that I believe needs to be balanced somewhat. The emphasis has been the “abuse” of spiritual fathering and how that it’s not about the fathers, it’s about supporting the sons, etc! And I’m in full agreement and having been involved with my own apostolic father for more than 40 years, I’ve seen the pendulum swing several times! My Father, Dr. Mark Hanby, began teaching this and implementing these powerful truths back in the late 1970’s and wrote the premier book, You Have Not Many Fathers, over 20 years ago. He and our apostolic family and company have taken many hits over the years and I have heard it all!
Let’s not forget that with every vital truth there is an equal false and undermining effort to tear it down. Yes, many prostitute this truth and take advantage as spiritual leaders of the obvious cry for spiritual fathers today. We’ve been out of the “system” of the pseudo apostolic move that empowers both networking fathers and orphan sons to use money as their means to base these false networks on. But let’s be clear, to go off balance and put all the responsibility on the fathers to support and empower the sons, which I do believe in, there is a corresponding responsibility of the sons to serve and support the fathers!!
Paul said in Phil. 2:22 speaking of his son Timothy- “But you know his proven character, that as a Son with his father he served with me in the gospel.” The hearts of fathers are first turned to the sons, and then the hearts of the sons are turned to ‘their’ fathers. (Mal. 4:5.)
In other words, sons do not pick their fathers but fathers recognize the sons first and then give affirmation of the sons to confirm it. Sons who do not share the mutual participation of sowing into fathers as fathers sow and pour into them, are not recognizing what Father God has done in their lives. The balance is, fathers sow relational and spiritual things into the sons and the sons reciprocate with love and honor to their fathers.
There will always be charlatans and thieves who take advantage of spiritual sons but let’s celebrate the true and the real relationships between apostolic teaching fathers and sons!!
Love and blessings,
Jim B
James Becton Ministries/ EaglesVision EKKLESIA! 