Knowing – and Revealing the Father Heart of God - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 06/02/24

This message was originally recorded February 22, 2015.

My notes:

What gives us access to God? "The blood [of Jesus] sprinkled is what consecrates and sets us apart to have access to God; it's the life released through death and makes us approachable to God... New birth - new creation - can only occur once Jesus Christ is raised from the dead... born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." And what is the goal? "To obtain an inheritance... so, in the measure in which we live our life hidden with Christ in God, then we are coming in experientially to the appropriation and the receiving of that inheritance. It's there - it's already ours, but we have to press in to take it."

As Doug refers to 1 Peter 2:9, the KJV says we are "a peculiar people". Unfortunately in today's vernacular, it seems to imply that we are different, weird or odd. Doug has given us more explanation of the Hebrew form of this word Segulah - Greek N.T. word equivalent: periousios with the following resource:

Segulah, God’s Peculiar Treasure - Article by Allan Halton (https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/segulah.pdf)

In this message, Doug digs deep into some of the technical definitions of terms that reveal some of the characteristics and divine nature of Jesus Christ, including His intrinsic eminence. This was demonstrated in the unthinkable act of Jesus when instead of avoiding a man afflicted with leprosy, He touched him. Doug paralleled this to survivors of SRA, "everyone who is still unresolved does not know God as Father. That is what we need to see in the body of Christ" - not just survivors, but all of us. In the Old Testament, the Fatherhood of God was not clearly expressed nor defined. It took Jesus Christ as the last Adam, the second man to reveal God as Father. The Apostle Paul sadly confronts the church that should be carrying on that revelation, "though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers" (1 Corinthians 4:15). Why is that? "Anything in our lives that is not crucified with Christ is eclipsing Jesus Christ." Later in the message, Doug shares the story of a man he saw in an interview that spoke of the immeasurable value of spiritual fathers in the church. Doug's spiritual father was T. Austin-Sparks, though he never met him in person. That quality of spiritual fatherhood, the reality and manifestation of God as Father, was communicated to Doug for many years, and the result has been very evident.

As we consider what it means for the morning star to arise in our hearts in the closing chapter of this dispensation, Doug shares that it "will have its final crowning event in the not-too-near future. The world's greatest revival is on the horizon; and the most terrible time in the age of the church age - most terrible and wonderful - we're right on the cusp of that occurring."

We are reminded of another teaching missing from today's pulpits, the fact that we can actually hasten the coming of the Lord. In a previous message, we focused on making a way for the Lord as John the Baptist did in the first advent. The passage in 2 Peter 3:11-12 tells us the coming day of God (i.e.: the rapture in contrast to 'the day of the Lord', the 7-year tribulation) can be brought sooner as a result of our holy conduct and living our lives in godliness. "So, what sort of people [should we be]? That which bears intrinsic eminence of God." 'Eminence' is defined as: "a person of high rank or attainments." As members of the body of Christ, sons and daughters of the Most High God, we bear that rank and authority over the angelic realm as well as His attainments and victory in our lives and conduct. Jesus, the last Adam, the second man, as High Priest, mediates that eminence into us, His body.

Doug got very personal as he asked what it was we saw in him as our pastor. "Pastors are very much occupied with what people are going to hear from us and not too aware of what people see. So, whatever way you have not seen a father in me in all these years, if that's all you've seen is a teacher - I failed. I don't care how accurate the teaching is, there's no teaching that I've ever given that I can repent of. I believe that everything I've given is the truth... But - what do people see?" In the ministry God gave Doug, he could speak this from experience: "You show love towards His [God's] name in that you're ministering to the saints." In another message, Doug helped me understand what "first love" is (Revelation 2:4); loving God and loving what (and who) God loves. I testify that this is what I saw in Doug during the 40+ years I knew him.

In this message, we not only hear of the fatherhood of God, but also the motherhood. Years ago when Doug taught us the names of God in the Old Testament, he referred to El Shaddai as the bountiful provider, illustrated as a many-breasted God. In the Hindu religion that has many gods, and one that actually pictures this.

Doug raises the question of those graduating from seminaries, bible colleges, and churches, "How many sons are coming out of there? How many sons are coming forth from any ministry that bear the image of the father? Something's going to happen in the church; something very, very radical and shaking." Quoting Chuck Missler, "The church in the book of Acts, [the] beginning of the church age, began in houses; and it will finish in houses." Doug adds, "Because when the shaking comes (Hebrews 12:25-29), you will not see any buildings. They're all going to be gone. The money that people have put in the buildings, it's all destined for fire." In China, after the church seemed to have been destroyed in its shaking, what remained? "Love for God; love for one another."

For those not aware, many of the 40 years, including the beginning and at the end of Morning Star Testimony Church, we met in houses. I often thought of us as an 'underground church'.

Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/2-22-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3

 

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!