Greetings from Ani and I to all of you. We write with sincere apologies for the lack of correspondence over the last several months. As God has been rending the Heavens over Mexico so He has been piercing our hearts in depths we have never known before. We find ourselves weeping unlike any other time in our lives. Some moments, it seems almost too much to bear. We have felt the heart of God before, but this is different. In this hour, it no longer is just a King overcoming the forces of evil, but a Father searching for His broken children. The Father’s love is being awakened again amongst the hearts of His people. Whereas once we counted some as just “casualties of war” we now fall to our knees for their lives. These children, though broken and disheveled, need to be shown what they have, but even more importantly, who they have. Many have never known a true father’s love or touch. They have wandered as battered orphans for way too long. Now is the time for us to embrace them as our own and show them the love of a father.
God has graciously reminded us recently of His final words in the Old Testament; His desire to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Mal. 4:6). That has become the earnest cry of our hearts. We have traveled many miles throughout Mexico sharing this crucial message. Not only is God calling young and old to repent, but He is also reviving and confirming love and unity between generations. By bringing them closer and fastening them together, He is uniting them all unto Himself. This unity amongst fathers and children is what will help usher in the Kingdom of God and prepare us all for the perils that are to come. We must step out and embrace the prodigals. Are we as desperate to love them as they are to be loved? They have understood the rage and rejection of an errant earthly father, but now is the hour that they experience the unconditional love and acceptance a child deserves. It is our mandate and obligation as men and women of God to give them this.
I have a very dear friend, David Ravenhill, who wrote a book called Surviving the Anointing. Within in it, he created a list called “Pharaohs vs. Fathers.” I have listed it below to show the immense contrast between what these children have experienced and what they desperately need.
Pharaohs vs Fathers_
Pharaohs have slaves------- Fathers have sons
Pharaohs command---------- Fathers counsel
Pharaohs dominate----------- Fathers liberate
Pharaohs dictate------------- --Fathers communicate
Pharaohs destroy and demean ----- Fathers discipline
Pharaohs remove -------------Fathers restore
Pharaohs restrain -------------Fathers release
Pharaohs manipulate --------Fathers motivate
Pharaohs emasculate------- Fathers propagate
Pharaohs whip------------------ Fathers weep
Pharaohs want results------- -Fathers want relationship
Pharaohs build great cities--- Fathers build great sons
Pharaohs are hardhearted---- Fathers are tenderhearted
Pharaohs fear success--------- Fathers foster success
Pharaohs want servants------- Fathers are servants
Pharaohs prey on slaves---- -Fathers pray for sons
Slaves die for pharaohs------ -Fathers die for sons
Slaves work out of fear-------- -Sons work out of faith
Slaves work out of duty-------- -Sons work out of devotion
Slaves remain slaves---------- -Sons develop into fathers
Slaves loathe pharaohs------- -Sons love fathers
Slaves are discouraged------- -Sons are encouraged
Slaves receive reproof--------- -Sons receive approval
Slaves grow to hate and hurt--- Sons grown to heal and help
Slaves have numbers------------ Sons have names
Slaves celebrate a ----------------Sons commiserate a
pharaoh’s death ---------------------father’s death
Slaves escape ----------------------Sons return
Slaves sigh ----------------------------Sons sing
The prayer of both Ani and I is that each one of you may be challenged to search within yourselves. We must rise up in these last days, not just as warriors but also as fathers and mothers to the thousands of orphans and prodigals. They are desperate to not only find their way home but to find loving parents when they get there. We need to remind ourselves that even though we serve a King, He is first a loving Father. May we not overlook that our key objective must be to stand as fathers and mothers. We are here to serve and love as our gracious Savior so beautifully demonstrated. Positions of authority come and go, but the love of a father and mother is eternal. For love has, is, and forever will be the greatest force in all the universe.
