Happy Father’s Day!  This Father’s Day marks my 10th year anniversary as pastor of the Brooklyn church of God, and my 2nd year without my dad, he passed on Sunday, September 24, 2023.

My dad was in attendance for my first message ten years ago as he we almost every message I preached from the pulpit since 2005. He was my greatest support and I miss him very much.  I was able to officiate my dad’s funeral, one because he asked me to and secondly because I new he had “bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”  (cf. Eph.3:14).  I have many descriptive words for my dad but what I am most proud of and thankful for is that he repented of his sins and accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and Lord (‘bowed his knees’) and became part of that eternal family “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

Our world in which we live ‘bow their knees’ to a lot of things in this life - money, political parties, sports, family, drugs, alcohol, sex, jobs, power and position just to name a few.  Tragically, pride and self-reliance will keep many of men out of the kingdom of God because they refuse to ‘bow their knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I am glad my dad didn’t refuse.  I am glad Paul, the writer of Ephesians (and the majority of the new testament) didn’t refuse. 

Not only Fathers but men are important to our society.  I am so thankful for my dad and the men through my life that have influenced me in a positive way.  God said to “honor your father and your mother.”  My dad is gone so I now honor him by honoring my mother.  My mother will be gone some day too and I hope to continue to honor them both by honoring the one who created us all “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

I will be gone from this earth myself someday too.  I pray my children and grandchildren will honor me by honoring the one who created them and pray that if they haven’t they one day too will “bow their knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” and become part of the “whole family in heaven and earth is named.”  That is the gospel hope.  My prayer this fathers day is that you come to Christ if you haven’t.

Happy Father’s Day!

Pastor Rodney