“You Have Not Many Fathers” by Dr. Mark Hanby (Review)

“A son can be perfect in form and fully knowledgeable of his purpose, but live completely paralyzed by the lack of a father’s voice to bring life…” Dr. Mark Hanby

I honestly believe that the generation that is alive today is amongst the greatest generations that has ever lived. Not only are we highly intelligent and technologically advanced, we are also full of creativity, passion, and vision that can transform the world. Although some believe us to be lost and immoral, I truly believe that this generation simply demands from life a deeper meaning and purpose. A sincere authenticity, rather than baseless and antiquated platitudes, is required in order to capture the hearts of this generation.

Despite the greatness that lies within us, we somehow have not completely measured up to the fullness of our potential. It truly breaks the heart to see so many young people with greatness within, wasting their lives with ill and fruitless pursuits that ultimately culminate in unmanifested dreams. For followers of Christ, this is especially troublesome since the entire weight of the purposes of God’s Kingdom rests on the shoulders of a generation that has great gifts and potential, but for some reason seems to have lost its way.

Dr. Mark Hanby, in his book “You Have Not Many Fathers”, asserts that the reason why the church as whole is not completely walking in the fullness of the power and influence that God desires is because we have lost respect for the order of transferring power from one generation to the next; that order is from fathers to sons. Fathers (i.e. mentors or elders) are there to identify the potential within a person and assist them in developing and releasing it to the fullest. This relationship is affirming to a son or daughter (i.e. mentee/pupil), allowing him or her to be sent forth into his or her destiny wearing a coat of confidence and assurance of identity, purpose, and power. Sadly, one the greatest attacks we face as a generation is the total destruction and/or perversion of this most holy and most necessary order. Without it, this generation has been lost and stranded in a wilderness, possessing greatness on the inside that never reaches its fullness. If we are to rescue our generation and the purpose of God that lives within our hearts, we have to restore God’s order by reconciling the hearts of spiritual fathers to the hearts of their sons.

From a very young age I have always known what I was created to do. Believe it or not, I’ve been preaching since I was about three years old. At birthday parties, family get-to-gathers, anywhere there was an audience, I wanted to preach. Can you image a little kid with a small Gideon’s Bible, walking around preaching? Yup, that was me! My journey has been long, and not without a number of pitfalls along the way. Yet I never lost my zeal for God and for preaching His truth. If nothing else, my desire has only magnified and the wisdom of God has greatly increased within me. However, I can’t but wonder if I should be further along by now. I understand, everything has its season and timing. But if I ask myself “Am I living up to the level of my inner vision and potential?”, I would have to say that I clearly have work to. You know, we all start out with big dreams and visions for the future, but when the future becomes the present, it rarely lives up to the magnitude of our original dreams. Like many of my generation, I believe God called us to do great things, to have great influence, and to change the world. But what has been holding us back?

If you examine individuals that are successful in fulfilling their dreams and walking in their destiny they all seem to have few things in common. Despite being talented, gifted and knowledgeable in their craft, they all seem to have a certain grit and they wear a coat of confidence that aids them in their pursuit. They know who they are and they don’t spend time trying to qualify themselves for their destiny. Not seeking validation from their achievements, they believe they are supposed to succeed, and they do. Sometimes this confidence comes from inner strength or from a history of facing and overcoming life’s adversities. More often than not though, this power to move into destiny is bestowed upon them through the loving support of some parent, mentor, or role model that gives them the confirmation and the confidence they need to succeed.

In the life of Jesus, it was clear from the very beginning that God had an awesome destiny in store for Him. In fact, when Jesus was 12 years old, His parents lost Him for a few days because He was in the synagogues listening to the teachers and asking questions. However, you don’t see Jesus doing anything in ministry for a long period in His life. From the time He was 12 until He turned 30, you don’t hear much about Jesus doing any great miracles and preaching any great sermons. The Bible simply teaches that He grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with man (Luke 2:52). However, something extraordinary happened to Jesus at the age of 30. As He went down to the Jordon River to be baptized, God spoke from heaven saying “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”(Matthew 3:17). With these words, God’s Spirit (the Father’s coat of blessings and power), came and rested on Jesus. It was only after the Father’s affirming words spoken over Jesus’ life that He was commissioned to move forward into His destiny. The words of God affirmed who Jesus was, clothing Him with assurance, confidence, and the power that was needed to fulfill His destiny.

Like Jesus, we may have a great calling or destiny, great gifts and visions, but without the validation and commissioning of a father, we are not properly equipped to carry out our mission. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you need validation from man before you know you are called or before you can function in your destiny. God and God alone, the heavenly father of us all, calls us and affirms us before any man says anything. However, whatever God affirms in your heart, he also confirms through the heart and vision of elders. It’s one thing to know that you have a calling. It is a different thing when that calling is confirmed by a father or elder. It is one thing for you to see it. It is a different thing when someone who is seasoned and respected in the area you are called to can look you in the eyes and say “I see it too”.

Not only does a father confirm that there is greatness within you, he also helps you correct areas of weakness and creates an environment where you can gain experience and increase your skill, confidence, and self awareness. Finally, a father knows when you are ready and can declare when it is time for you to be sent forth. This fathering process is a clothing or equipping relationship for the son; it provides a mantle of confidence and power to commission purpose and destiny in his life.

Like so many children of this current generation, I have struggled for years in my life, knowing I had greatest within me, seeing it for myself and experiencing a measure of success, but without experiencing the benefit that comes from a father’s confirmation in ministry. Although knowing your own greatness is vitally important and beneficial, being fathered by someone that can stand on the outside looking in and who can see and speak to that greatness adds a measure of power that can not be obtained any other way. Sure, the world is full of “self-made” men and women who have to do it all by themselves. But this was never God’s intension. The problem with being self made is that every generation is doomed to have to start over from scratch, wasting years and strength having to figure everything out anew, without the benefit of wisdom passed on from elders. The pain of abandoned sons struggling to find themselves and to overcome challenges without the benefit of the love and support of spiritual fathers is both crippling and paralyzing, leaving many in our generation lost in the wilderness still pregnant with unfulfilled dreams and unrealized potential. Oh, what many of us wouldn’t give just to hear the voice of a father say “I see your greatness too! I am here to help you to fulfill your dream.” It is the key to unlock the greatness within and to set us on the course to fully release destiny.

A father’s confirmation acts as coat of confidence (i.e. Aaron the High Priest’s rob or Elijah’s mantle in the Bible), that is passed from father to son, transferring power from one generation to the next to fulfill destiny and purpose. What this current generation needs more than anything is fathers to show us the way, to turn their hearts to us and commit themselves to fathering the vision and potential that lies dormant within us. In the Malachi 4, God declares that the day is coming when God will cause the hearts of the fathers to turn back to lost and abandoned children and for children to turn back to their fathers. Without the restoration of this vital bond, this generation will remain lost and naked, condemned to try to navigate through the wilderness of destiny without a compass to lead the way.

To purchase “You Have Not Many Fathers” by Dr. Mark Hanby, click the following link

http://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Not-Many-Fathers/dp/1560431660

Putting Away Childish Things: Part III

 

Making the transition is not always easy. It involves a major paradigm shift in your thinking that is difficult when you spent so much of your life thinking like a boy. To make the transition, you must seek God intensely to find your identity in Christ. As a boy, you gain your identity from the world: how you grew up, your experiences, etc. As a man, who you are as a person, your name, your identity can only come from God.

I am reminded of the story of Jacob who wrestled with God (I encourage you to check his story in Genesis 25-33). Jacob spent all is life with a bad identity. His name, Jacob, meant trickster and he sure lived up to his name, tricking his brother out of his birthright and his father’s blessing. I see in Jacob what I saw in myself and what I see in a lot of men. Jacob lives his whole life with a false identity, labeled by his behavior and experiences.

Truth be told, Jacob was in disparate need of affirmation from his father, Isaac. You see, Isaac liked Jacob’s brother, Esau, better because he was more manly. You know, the outdoor/hunter kinda guy. Jacob was somewhat of a momma’s boy. I believe, the reason he tried to steal his brother’s birthright and father’s blessing was really because he was trying to gain the approval and affirmation of his father. He went his whole life from that point running, trying to suppress his inner hurt. Until one night he decided to wrestle with God (Genesis 32). He refused to let go of the angel, which represented God, until He was forced to not only bless Jacob but give Him a new name, Israel. In that moment, God gave Jacob the affirmation he was looking for and so disparately needed.

Only God can affirm a male and call him into manhood. God affirms you by revealing to you, over time, your true identity independent of your circumstances, your feelings, how you grew up, or what mistakes you made. People can only confirm what God has affirmed. However, in order to receive God’s affirmation, you must be willing to wrestle with Him.

Wrestling with God simply means to hold on to what His word says about you until it transforms your perception of yourself. Regardless of how you feel or what you may have done or what the circumstances are, you hold on to what God has said about you. You govern every thought that comes in your mind and make it line up with the word of God. You meditate on the word day and night by confessing it and thinking on. You spend REAL time with God, allowing Him to teach you who you are in Him. You visualize yourself being what God says you are. You fast and pray to place your body under submission. You walk in obedience to what He commands.

This is called wrestling. It is the process that transforms boys to men. It is the cocoon that every male must enter in order to grow up. It is the place where the boy dies and is put away. And it is the place where the man is resurrected. But it doesn’t happen without a fight. The question is, are you willing to go the distance?

I leave you with this challenge. Grow up! It’s time leave childishness behind you. It’s time to enter the cocoon and wrestle with God. The world is looking for true men to arise and take their place. Your families and future generations are depending on you to be the man God has called you to be.

Putting Away Childish Things: Part II

At its heart, being a man is about freedom. Freedom from being controlled by your past, your feelings, or your conditions. It is the freedom to be what God has ordained you to be. Freedom to live up to your fullest potential and aspirations. Freedom to follow your values and principles and not your temporary desires. When the butterfly finally bursts out of the cocoon, he is free at least! That is what giving birth to manhood is about. It is a feeling of control, self-mastery, and self-governance. There is nothing more fulfilling in life than true, inner freedom as a man!

Proverbs states “…as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The word “thinketh” here means to be the guardian or gatekeeper of one’s thoughts. In other words, who you are as a man is a direct reflection of how you guard or keep your mind. As a man you are literally the governor or king over your own mind. You are responsible for what goes in and what comes out.

Why is this so important? Because thoughts create perceptions of reality, and perceptions create actions, actions create habits, habits define your character, and character determines your destiny. Thoughts are the seeds of life so the manner in which a man governs his thoughts will determine the quality of life he will live and the quality of man he will be.

As a man, you exercise your freedom by governing your thoughts. You are a king and your mind is your domain and your thoughts are your subjects! Your job as king is to make sure that all of your subjects (thoughts) line up with truth, or the Word of God.

The problem is that when you were a boy, you let your thoughts run wild. You let through every thought that wanted to come through the gate. And now, those thoughts have formed strongholds in your mind. Strongholds are fortified lies that have power in your mind. They set up residence in your domain and are exercising authority in your kingdom. As a man, it is time to get things in the kingdom back under control.

Again, being a man is all about self-mastery. When you master yourself, when you become the king of your own life by submitting your thoughts to God, then you will be able to have external influence over circumstances and an impact on other people. Boys try to control their circumstances and often end in failure and disappointment. Men seek first to master themselves, and then their circumstances must come under subjection.

You know what, as a king there should be some things that are beneath you. I mean, dog, your royalty man! You shouldn’t be struggle with the same lame and stupid stuff you where dealing with when you were a boy. Thinking the same stupid thoughts, giving in to the same silly emotions, crying about the same dead issues, falling for the same old temptations…come on, its time to grow up! Its time to put away boyhood and walk in true manhood.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Putting Away Childish Things: Part 1

The other day I was having one of my moments. You know, feeling pressure to do something you know you ought not to do. It’s the same routine, there is truly nothing new under the sun. And you been down this road before, a bunch of times…too many times if you really want to be truthful. You already know how this is going to end: you feel pressure…you try to resists…you fight a little bit…you reason with yourself…you think “God will forgive me”…you give in…YOU FEEL TERRIBLE!…you think “why the heck did I do that!” It’s the same song and dance for year end and year out.

But this time was different. I heard something on the inside of me say “Hmmm…aren’t you a little too old for that by now? Shouldn’t you be passed all that at this point? Haven’t you been down that road too many times before with the same result? I mean, come on man. Is that what you really want?” Why do we continue to follow the same path to self-destruction when we know what the end result is going to be? Man, its time to grow up!

Then I thought of the scripture found in 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned (or understand) like a child. When I become a MAN, I put childish ways behind me.” The difference between a boy and a man, between someone who is immature and someone who is mature, is not how much you have grown physically, not what you have accomplished, not how much stuff you have, not even having a woman at your side. There are only three main distinctions between boys and men: how you talk, how you think, and how you reason.

A boy talks about his problems, while a man talks about the solutions. A boy focuses on his circumstances; a man focuses on his vision. A boy lives in the past, a man prepares for the future. A boy lives for today, a man sacrifices today in order to create a greater tomorrow. A boy is like a thermometer (reflects the conditions of his environment). A man is like a thermostat (he sets the atmosphere and changes the conditions of his environment). A boy is a product of his environment; a man’s environment is a product of him. A boy is moved by his feelings; a man is moved by his principles. A boy says “I have to”; I man says “I chose to”. A boy says “No I can’t”; I man says “YES I CAN!” (okay Obama…)

Anyway, the distinction between a boy and a man is like night and day, like a caterpillar and a butterfly. Like a caterpillar, the transition between boyhood and manhood is a metamorphosis; it is a process whereby one nature dies and a new nature is birthed.

Growing up, my sister and I used to go out into the streets and capture caterpillars and put them in a closed jar to watch this process unfold. After a few days, the caterpillar would fold into a white ball or cocoon and go through the process of transforming into a butterfly (or in our cause, a not so appealing moth!) Pretty soon the caterpillar was no more and we would have moths flying around our house. My point is that in order to get the butterfly or moth, the caterpillar has to be put away. And once the transformation takes place, the butterfly can never go back to being a caterpillar.

Manhood is much the same way. In order to become a man, the boy has to be put away. That is why the scripture says “When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” Note that childish speaking, thinking, and reasoning just don’t go away by themselves. They must be put away, intentionally and on purpose.

TO BE CONTINUED…..