New Face of Fatherhood

A while back, while watching Ezra and eating some grape nuts & yogurt, I glanced at the cover of a Parents magazine. The story was called “The New Face of Fatherhood” and the gist was that it was now cool for a dad to be seen in public with their kid. They cited examples of celebrities – Brad Pitt, Spike Lee, Will Smith, Matt Damon – that were not afraid being seen doing activities with their children would diminish their masculinity. The story went on to talk about how we have changed from the Fifties when child-rearing was entirely the domain of the mother and how progressive we are as a society.

I nearly wept.

I was not overwhelmed by the writing of the story, nor am I particularly concerned with the relationship between Spike Lee and his child. What touched my heart was that God spoke Malachi 4:5,6 to me as I read that article:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

God will send an anointing to the earth before Jesus returns. This “Elijah anointing” will be on certain people who will help prepare the way for the return of Jesus. One of the things that will happen is that the hearts of the fathers will be turned to their children, and vice versa. How do I know we are in the last days? Because even Parents magazine recognizes that fathers’ hearts are being turned towards their children!

Many people have told me that “every generation though Jesus would return in their lifetime” and that I should just concentrate on my responsibilities here and now and let those things work themselves out. Well, I refuse to let the editors of Parents be the only ones that recognize the signs of the times. My friends, we must be vigilant, continually watching and praying. The more we desire His return, the more we will watch for Him, and the more of these signs we will observe.

Even so, come quickly Lord!