As the song writer, “Min. Stuart Townend” wrote “How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure that He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure” . God has a unique love for His beautiful creation “mankind”. Due to that He gave Himself in the person of Jesus Christ the Son as a ransom to pay for the penalty of mans disobedience so as to reconcile man onto Himself “Matthew 20:28; Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”. The Father also demands genuine love in return from us, His children whom He died for. The question then is “How can we as children of God show genuine love to the Father?”. A love that can move His heart just as a man, that is in love with a woman will do what it takes to move the heart of the woman. Likewise, us. We must also identify what is in the heart of the father, and when that is done, we will be able to move the heart of the father.

As loving as He is, He always does not leave us in misery, without a witness or a clue. God the Father gave us a hint of what is on His heart and would want to see it being fulfilled. This thing on the Father’s heart is locked up in the parables our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about in the book of Luke chapter 15. A careful study of these parables reveals what is on the heart of the Farther. These parables include “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”, “The Parable of the Lost Coin”, and “The Parable of the Lost Son”. We will look deeper into these parables so we will be able to demystify its content to know what lies in the father’s heart.

“The Parable of the Lost Sheep Luke 15:3-7”; And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. In this parable we see the shepherded going after his lost sheep. He had 100 sheep but unfortunately, he lost one of the hundred. But we see the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine and going to search for the one which was lost. It is not the will of the shepherd that a single sheep should be lost. The shepherd in this parable represents the Lord. Jesus said “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep John 10”:11” Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want”. This tells us how important a single soul is to the Lord. The Lord will do whatever possible it takes to save a soul even if it means laying down his life, John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  In the later part of the scripture “Luke 15:3-7”, we see that there is joy in heaven when a lost soul is found. This tell us that, what moves the Fathers heart is saving a lost soul.

“The parable of the lost coin Luke 15:8-10”; Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. We see a similar scenario in this parable where a woman looses one of her coins. The scripture says, she lights a candle and search the entire house until she has found the lost coin. In the Parable, the woman represents the Lord, and this depicts the time when Christ left His heavenly habitation and came into this dark world seeking us who were lost. He came as light to deliver us from the power of darkness and show us the path of righteousness. “John 8:12; Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”. Before Christ will ascend into heaven, he commanded us to carry on this task and He charged us to make sure that the entire world is saved and delivered from the ways of destruction. Our Lord Jesus directly handed over this task to the early Apostolic Fathers and the mantle has been pass on from generation to generation. It is now the time of our generation to do likewise. In this parable, the woman was filled with joy after having found the lost coin. Likewise, also there in much joy at the throne of God when we avail ourselves to be used by the Lord to save His lost children from the way of destruction and bringing them into His marvellous light. This is what really lies on the heart of the father, that he will see His Creation being reconcile onto Himself.

“The parable of the prodigal son Luke 11:11-13”; And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Here is another interesting parable where the Father really showed us what lies on His heart and would want to see it being fulfilled. In this parable a father has two sons, and the younger son demanded his share of inheritance while his father was still alive. But the father did an interesting thing. He did not hesitate to give him his share of inheritance because he knew what will become of him. So, the young son took his portion of his inheritance and left home. He went to a far country and led a life of luxury wasting the wealth giving to him by his father. He was not able to manage the wealth because, he was immature and easily fell prey to the sins of the world that easily entice him. Galatians 4:1-3; Now I say That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: This normally happen to us as children of God. We are always in a rush to make demands from God and most of these things we demand are material things. Since we are immature to handle these things, these things which are meant to be a blessing will end up taking us away from God and leading us into darkness. This is what happened to the prodigal son. He went his way and ended up wasting and losing everything his father had given him and ending up in misery, “Luke 15:14-16 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him”. But God being so merciful, the prodigal son came to himself and realised he made a wrong decision to demand his portion of inheritance and to leave his father’s house. He gave a deep taught to himself even about how his father’s servants who are not even his biological children are faring while he is in the wilderness suffering. This should be the decision we should all take when we wonder away from the house of God. We shouldn’t think we have acted so badly that we will not be accepted back by our Lord Jesus. He is more than ready to receive us into His marvellous hands “Luke 15:17-19 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants”.  He finally left after his decision to go back to his father house. On his way, his father saw him from afar and Lo and behold, the heart of his father was filled compassion because he has always long for the returning of His dear son. This is exactly what is in the heart of the Father, His longing desire is to see us return to him from the way of unrighteousness, “Luke 15:20; And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him”. The father went ahead and organize a big banquet for him. The entire house was filled with joy and merry. The fattest cow was killed for him to enjoy. But there was one person in his father’s house who was not happy about his father actions towards his younger son. That was his elder brother. His father’s decision to organize a banquet for his younger brother who has betrayed his father and wasted his father’s wealth did not sound good to him. Meanwhile, he has not misbehaved himself neither has he gone wayward but has faithfully served his father and his father has never organized such a banquet for him, Luke 15:27-29 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: We can see from this situation that, the eldest son missed it. He did not really know what gladdens his father’s heart. All that his father had wanted is not to lose any of his children. The purpose of his wealth and servants was to keep his children at his side. This situation is currently happening in the body of Christ today. The church rather spent many resources on the already saved souls while neglecting the souls that are lost and wondering in the darkness of this world. It is time for the Body of Christ to begin to look outside the church and give equal attention to the lost souls out there and bring them back onto God. Luke 15:30-32; But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. It is the desire of the father that none of His beautiful creation will leave his presence and fall into the hands of the enemy. The moment a soul is reconciled onto God, he or she has come back to his or her Father who has an open arm and is ever ready to accept us irrespective of where we have been and what we have done. The Father is always ready to provide for us and other our steps in this world. The popular scripture: John 3:16, For God so love the world that he gave His only begotten son, that who so even believe in Him will not perish but have an everlasting life”, which is familiar to the Body of Christ, clearly shows us what really lies on the heart of the Father and would want to see it fulfilled. It is now time for the Body of Christ to Populate the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.