Receiving a Father’s Heart

Thank the Lord for giving me a father’s heart and raising me to be the father of our church members and even the pastors of all branch churches. It is all God’s work.

Looking back, when I was four months old, my father left the family and went to Indonesia. When he returned, it was with another wife and three children. Less than a month later, they suddenly disappeared again. When I was 23 and my mother was critically ill, my father came to see her, and my mother told me to call him “dad.” I had a lot of hatred in my heart, but I wanted to overcome it. After believing in the Lord at the age of 20, I began learning to forgive everyone, including my father, who abandoned me. When I was 33, studying theology in Canada, I made further progress by actively reconciling with him. Later, when I returned to Hong Kong to establish our church, my father became seriously ill, and I led him to Christ. Afterwards, he wanted to commit suicide, leaving instructions for his funeral. At that time I was in Israel, I told him to wait for my return, but he still ended his life. Although I understood his pain during his illness, I couldn’t accept his approach. These are the experiences between me and my father. I constantly struggled in pain to accept him and myself, continually relying on the Lord for victory.

On the other hand, I also sought a spiritual father and experienced rejection and disdain. Some told me to be my own father, and others exploited our relationship for personal gain. I also relied on the Lord to walk through this painful path. Today, being able to rise and become a father leading the church is truly a miracle!

Initially, I wanted to teach my spiritual children, whether it was doing exegesis, preaching, or even playing basketball; I enjoyed teaching. However, C-Mo reminded me to be a father. Being a father is not about shaping children into an image of success as we envision it but about helping them reach their full potential. For example, my disciple Asaph has a passion for worship, so I aim to help and equip him to serve God as a worship pastor. Another disciple, Eben, excels in planning and organizing events, so I support him in exercising his abilities at the Garden of Eden and the Couples’ Camp. I continually affirm and praise the children with God’s perspective, embracing and building them up so they can grow increasingly joyful, free, and confident. I believe this is what it means to be a father.

The heart of our Heavenly Father is to make everyone become the Tree of Life. As I continue to follow God, the father’s heart turns to the children, enabling their lives to reflect the beauty of God’s creation. Then the children’s hearts turn to their father, following him to follow God together, becoming the Tree of Life and planting the Tree of Life everywhere.

How beautiful this would be!■【2025.07.06】