Doug Stringer

The Father’s Blessing - A Father's Day Message

doug stringer

This Father’s Day, we honor fathers, grandfathers, spiritual fathers, mentors, and all men who pursue the Father’s heart for their families and for others. But Father’s Day is also an opportunity to speak to those who have never known the love, affirmation, or blessing of a father.

Let me begin with this quote from the famous English Poet and Anglican Priest, George Herbert (1593–1633) who wrote:

“One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters!”

It reflected his conviction and belief that moral guidance and example from a father outweighs other influences, even formal education.

The promise of God is clear:

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

A few years ago, when my daughter Ashley was still a little girl, she gave me a Father’s Day card that read, “On Father’s Day, the world revolves around you. Tomorrow, it can go back to revolving around me, thus restoring balance and harmony to the universe.”

Then she wrote, “I love you daddy! You’re so handsome, mommy agrees! You’re an awesome father! I am blessed to have you as my father.”

It brought me to tears.

Over the years, I have often found notes and messages of encouragement from her. One day, on the messaging chalkboard in our kitchen, she simply wrote, “My Daddy Rocks!”

Those words touched something deep in my heart. They reminded me how powerful a father’s blessing can be and how deeply every son and daughter longs to know they are loved, valued, and secure.

Yet many today struggle to understand the love of the Heavenly Father because they have never experienced love, affirmation, or security from an earthly father.

We are living in a generation marked by an identity crisis. Many are searching for belonging, purpose, affirmation, and destiny. Some have been wounded by rejection. Others have grown up without the presence of a father. Still others may have had a father in the home but never received the blessing their hearts longed for.

Years ago, a teenage girl wrote to me and asked, “Why would God give Himself the title Father? What a stupid idea when father means rejection in my world.”

Her words were heartbreaking, but they revealed the cry of an orphan generation. For many, the word “father” does not bring comfort. It brings pain.

But God’s answer to a fatherless and orphaned generation is not simply a program, philosophy, or movement. His answer is Himself.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for father is “Ab.” Israel understood God as Father of the nation. But when Jesus came, He revealed something more personal. He taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven…”

Then in Romans 8:15, we are told that we have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Abba is a word of intimacy and endearment. It is the cry of a son or daughter who knows they belong.

I have heard children in Israel run to their fathers crying, “Abba! Abba! Abba!” Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

This is the relationship God desires with us. Not distant. Not detached. Not merely religious. Personal. Intimate. Transformational.

Luke 15 is often called the story of the Prodigal Son, but it is just as much the story of the loving father. The son had wandered, wasted, and broken fellowship. Yet when he came to his senses and began the journey home, Scripture says, “while he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran…”

The father ran!

The son expected judgment, but the father gave embrace.

The son expected rejection, but the father gave restoration.

The son expected a lecture, but the father prepared a celebration.

That is the Father Heart of God.

I believe the Father is still running toward prodigals. He is calling sons and daughters home. He is pouring out His Spirit upon an orphan generation searching for identity, purpose, and destiny.

The late Fuchsia Pickett (Dec 29, 1918- Jan 31, 2004) wrote and declared many years ago that the next great outpouring would be The Father Heart of God. (The Next Move of God).

For years, I too, have said, “The camels are coming.”

They are coming out of the wilderness. Out of confusion. Out of brokenness. Out of identity crises. Out of orphan spirits. They are coming into the embrace of the Father.

Colossians 1:12 reminds us to give thanks to the Father “who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”

It is the Father who qualifies us through His Son, Jesus. We are not qualified by our perfection, performance, or accomplishments. We are qualified by grace.

Through Christ, we are no longer orphans. We are sons and daughters. We have an inheritance. We have a name. We have a place. We have a Father.

This revelation should also awaken courageous manhood in our generation.

Years ago, while I was doing street ministry, a homeless man that I had helped named James came looking for me. When asked why, he said, “I want to be a man for Doug because he became a man for me.”

When I heard those words, they immediately resonated in my spirit: I want to be a man for Jesus because He became a Man for me.

That is at the core of courageous manhood.

Jesus became a Man for us. Now we live for Him.

In a world filled with challenges and complexities, there are many things that try to undermine godly manhood. Yet there has never been a greater need for courageous fathers, spiritual fathers, mentors, and men of God who will stand for what is right and sacrifice for the good of others.

Isaiah 1:17 tells us to “defend the fatherless.” That means we must do more than talk about the problem. We must become part of God’s answer. We must mentor, disciple, encourage, adopt spiritually, and help the lonely find family.

Psalm 68:6 says God sets the lonely in families. The Church should be a place where the fatherless encounter the Father’s embrace through the people of God.

Malachi 4:6 declares that God will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

This is not only a family promise; it is a revival promise. It speaks of healing, reconciliation, and generational restoration.

I believe we are in a time when the Father Heart of God is being revealed in a fresh way. God is reaching prodigals, healing orphans, restoring identity, and calling multiple generations to walk together in His purposes.

When Jesus came up from the waters of baptism, the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Before Jesus performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or fulfilled His earthly ministry, the Father affirmed Him.

That is the blessing every heart longs to hear.

You are loved.Yo u are accepted. You are chosen. You belong. You are Mine.

This Father’s Day, may every father pursue the Father’s heart.

May every family experience His blessing. May every prodigal come home. May every orphan discover adoption. And may every son and daughter hear the voice of the Heavenly Father saying:

“That’s My boy.”

“That’s My girl.”

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Doug Stringer

(parts of this article is extrapolated from my books, “In Search of A Father’s Blessing”, “Who’s Your Daddy Now?”, “Hope For A Fatherless Generation”, and some of my articles.)

We join in recognizing the significance and importance of Juneteenth in our nation’s history.

Juneteenth: Freedom Proclaimed and Freedom being Realized

Juneteenth, also known as Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and Freedom Day, is observed annually on June 19.

What began as a Texas commemoration is now recognized throughout the United States as a day to reflect on freedom, justice, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.

It was not until June 2004, when I was invited to speak at a Juneteenth gathering in Houston, that I began to more fully understand the deeper significance of this historic day.

History records that although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1, 1863, many enslaved in Texas did not learn of their freedom for more than two years. On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce federal orders, and Major General Gordon Granger announced that all enslaved people in Texas were free.

The news came nearly two and a half years after freedom had already been proclaimed under the Emancipation Proclamation, yet many had not yet heard the good news or experienced its reality.

Juneteenth reminds us not only of freedom proclaimed, but also of freedom realized.

As a Christian, I am reminded of the liberty and freedom we have been granted through Jesus Christ and the proclamation of His Word. The message of the Cross is the greatest news ever given. Through Christ’s finished work, we have been set free.

Yet, like those who had not yet heard the news of their emancipation, many of us today continue to live far short of God’s intention for our lives because we have not fully embraced the freedom available.

It is like a person who has inherited a great fortune but has never been informed of it. The inheritance exists, yet we continue living as though we possess nothing. In much the same way, many believers have access to the promises of God but continue to live burdened by fear, guilt, bitterness, or other forms of bo***ge.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bo***ge.” Galatians 5:1

He also reminds us:

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”�Galatians 5:13

Freedom is not merely the absence of bo***ge; it is the opportunity to live responsibly, purposefully, and lovingly toward others.

Jesus Himself declared:

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”�John 8:36

As we commemorate Juneteenth, may we honor the sacrifices, struggles, and victories.

May we also remember the great freedom found in Christ, a freedom that transforms hearts, restores dignity, breaks chains, and empowers us to serve one another in love.

May we never take freedom for granted. Instead, may we steward it wisely, exercise it responsibly, and use it compassionately for the good of others and the glory of God.

Doug Stringer

Every generation needs heroes, men and women we can look up to and emulate. The Bible is filled with stories of heroic believers who obeyed God and did mighty exploits in difficult situations. We are told to consider their faith and imitate their manner of life.

The writer of Hebrews makes several references to those who should be imitated:

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Heb. 6:12).

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter (or finisher) of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 12:2-3).

Not finding positive heroes to imitate, many of our young people today have sadly latched onto negative heroes. From perverse rock stars, gang leaders, television stars, athletes and the list goes on. Many destructive role models have substituted for the heroes our generation so desperately need.

Just as the Bible points to heroes of the faith whose example we should follow, it also gives many warnings about imitating the ways of evildoers:

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33)

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God (3 Jn. 1:11).

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked (ungodly) or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2)."

doug stringer

EARS TO HEAR?

Are we seared of conscience? Create a clean heart in us, oh God! by Doug Stringer

Originally posted - February 16, 2023 - on DougStringer.Com

Exposure. Implosions. Explosion.

During the last few weeks of 2022 and coming into the new year, I heard those three words repeatedly in my spirit as I pushed through a season of travail over the complicity of sin in our nation, even by leaders in the Church. I believe the Lord was telling me:

1. There will be an “exposure” of hidden sin.

“And it will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good nor harm!’” (Zephaniah 1:12 NASB)

Judgment starts within the house of the Lord, and He wants to expose the hidden sins—the complacency, the compromise, the complicity to sin—in the Church. In many ways, we have become complicit to sin because we have compromised our convictions.

When we break God’s laws, all other laws—natural, spiritual, and moral—are impacted. Romans 13:1-2 (TPT) speaks to us about the importance of submitting to these laws:

“Every person must submit to and support the authorities over him. For there can be no authority in the universe except by God’s appointment, which means that every authority that exists has been instituted by God. So, to resist authority is to resist the divine order of God, which results in severe consequences.”

Choices always have consequences; our private choices even have public consequences. I sense God is about to expose many things that are being done in secret, because there is so much compromise in His Church.

Proverbs 13:6 (TPT) says: “Righteousness is like a shield of protection, guarding those who keep their integrity, but sin is the downfall of the wicked.”

God is exposing things, but exposure can also be positive. Ezekiel 9:4 (NKJV)shows us God also seeks out the righteous:

“…and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’”

Exposure is not just exposing the compromised, the complacent, or those who are complicit to sin. The Lord, I believe, is also going to expose or shed light on those who have not compromised.

2. There will be “implosions” of the kingdoms of this world.

Hebrews 12 tells us everything we put our security in will be shaken, except for that which cannot be shaken. We know the only unshakable kingdom is the Kingdom of our Lord. I sensed that everything we put our trust in, the things that we lean on, will begin to fail us. We’ve already seen this happen quite a bit these last few years. We’ve put our hope in the kingdoms of this world!

And every time we turn around, someone is letting us down.
The only One who will never let us down is the Lord. We must understand His laws—spiritual, biblical, universal—so we can then honor moral law and natural law. We cannot do that without first seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, so that all these other things will be set in order.

3. There will be an “explosion” of God’s presence.

The third word I kept hearing was “explosion.” But here’s the good news:

It wasn’t an explosion in a negative way. I sensed that, when the worldly systems we lean on begin to implode and God exposes the hearts of men, both evil and good, there will be an explosion of the manifestation of His presence!

God is about to do something much like He’s done in history past. Some of the most pressurized, difficult moments in history were the very same times He moved greatly. There will be an explosion of God’s presence on those who humble their hearts before Him and receive a fresh revelation of the Work of the Cross and the Power of the Resurrection. We are already seeing signs of this at Asbury College and other locations.

A CLEAN HEART:

On January 17, I was continuing in travail over the burden I had for complicity of sin. Throughout the night, I just couldn’t get that agony out of my heart as I was interceding. I was lying in bed, unable to sleep, when an old Keith Green song from Psalm 51, came to mind. As I listened to the lyrics again, I began to weep:

'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.'

That night, I listened to that song over and over until there was a breakthrough. In the midst of my agony and travail, through tears of release and freedom, the Lord reminded me our hope lies not in the institutions of men but in leaning on Him. And it starts with us.

In the midst of the reforms of Josiah, God spoke through Jeremiah and Zephaniah and said you cannot bring lasting change until you first deal with inward corruption of the heart. I can’t deal with the issues around me until I deal with my own heart first. I must make sure my posture before God is contrite. Then He can create a clean heart in me so I can say, “Father, be glorified in all that I do, say, and think.”

That’s what I want to see happen every day in my life. And it isn’t easy! My flesh constantly wars against the Spirit. But I know I have the Spirit of God living inside of me and I’m the temple of the Holy Spirit, just as you are, if you call upon the name of the Lord.

It’s by His abounding, great, and amazing grace that we can walk in the fullness of His Godhead bodily and the fullness of His purposes in our lives. We’ll never have all the answers. We will never be perfected by ourselves. But He who is perfect does the perfecting work in and through us. It’s by Him that lives are changed.

Winkie Pratney says that rather than praying for revival, we should pray to the Revival-Giver. It’s so true. If we align our hearts with the Lord’s heart and allow Him to shed His light on us so that we become lovers of truth again, we will be repulsed by sin and compromise. We will truly say, “God, do whatever you need to do in me so you can work through me.”

When we become desperate and passionate for God, we will no longer lean on institutional and worldly things that seem to bring us pleasure, security, hope, and joy. When we recognize our only hope is in the hope of glory, Christ Jesus, we will be eager to share that hope to the world around us.

As Matthew 5:16 tells us, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and bring glory to your Father in heaven.”

WHO DO YOU CHOOSE?

The late Bible teacher Derek Prince wrote a book called, The Beast or The Lamb: Discerning the Nature That Determines Your Destiny. What an appropriate title for a time such as this! The summary on the back cover says:

“Our ancient enemy is cunning, and his subtle deceptions can infiltrate an unsuspecting heart—and church. When we don’t know or take seriously the daily relevance of the Bible’s teaching on satan and the end times, we can unwittingly get swept up in his schemes…

“Today and in the days ahead, a destiny-determining choice lies before you: Will you give in to the nature and deception of the Beast? Or will you stand firm in the nature of the Lamb, preparing yourself for the day He returns?”

We need this message now, even more than when he first wrote it decades ago!

I think one of the Grammy Awards that aired, with its blatant glorification of satan. During a program designed to acknowledge musicians and artists with incredible talent, we instead hear raucous applause for a tribute to the devil—while families across America were opening the windows of their children’s minds to the demonic.

Lucifer has always been a master of mesmerizing and entertaining. We cannot “choose the Lamb” while also choosing, by our silence, to be complicit in this type of demonic compromise in the name of entertainment or anything else.

We are in a very serious time. We can justify, excuse, or even try to legislate our compromises. But that doesn’t change the universal laws of God. When we try to change God, who cannot be changed, we move from under His covering and suffer the consequences. But when we come under the covering of the Lord, we find ourselves walking in the fullness of His blessings, His unmerited favor, and the supernatural peace, strength, and joy that the world cannot give or take away.

Jesus is our Prince of Peace. He is our joy unspeakable. He is the hope that gives us direction and vision. The world may offer us a lot of slick marketing campaigns, like we see when people market a product or promote a politician. It all sounds good, until the light of the truth exposes them.

COVERED BY THE BLOOD:

If we sow in the Spirit, we reap in the Spirit. If we sow in the flesh, we reap according to the flesh. The world calls it karma: “What goes around comes around.” But it’s the Law of Reciprocity, and it comes out of Scripture:

“Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows in his flesh, will of the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will have the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV)

God told Jeremiah to speak words to the people, but He also said the people would be full of pride, hardened of heart, and would not listen! Can you imagine God telling you to go speak a word in season, knowing the people would reject it? But we see that today! We want the things of God, the favor of God, and the blessings of God, yet we do not want the full counsel of God. As Elijah said to the people of Israel:

“’How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” (I Kings 18:21 NKJV)

I believe the Lord is speaking to all of us right now to come honestly before the throne of grace, the mercy seat of God. As we humble ourselves as living sacrifices on the altar of God, it might break us; but it also breaks the flesh off of us. Then God can do a deeper work in us so He can do a work through us.

If we continue to run from Him, putting on those proverbial fig leaves and hiding, we will find ourselves wanting and ultimately exposed in nakedness—spiritual nakedness. That’s why we need to understand the dangers of becoming complicit to sin, compromising our convictions, and ultimately becoming seared of conscience and losing our love of truth. When this happens, we are uncovered.

We need to be covered by the Lord. We need the great, amazing, and abounding grace of God to give us hope and a vision of destination and purpose in our lives.

This is not a time for us to be complicit to sin—whether sins of commission (proactively or overtly committing sin) or the sins of omission (knowing to do right but not doing it)—from living in complacency or compromise. If our nation’s broken cisterns and foundations are to be fixed, then we, the Church, must awaken our hearts and get back to our spiritual moorings and biblical principles.

To compromise our convictions is to sell our birthright and spiritual inheritance, like Esau did for a morsel of flesh.

In the book of Exodus, God told the people that, when the spirit of judgment came across the land, they were to stay indoors and under the covering of the blood of the Lamb on their doorposts. Today, this reminds us we are to stay under the covering of the Lord, the blood that was shed for us on the cross of Calvary, the Lamb of God that was slain before the foundations of the world.

THE SIDE OF THE LORD:

With the advent of social media, it has become easier for many to express their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. We can give our two cents worth on every issue under the sun, yet at times we base those opinions on assumptions without facts, experience, or personal knowledge. Assumption, I was taught by the late Dr. Edwin Louis Cole, is the lowest form of knowledge.

There are times we can become so insulated from the crisis around us, the human suffering, and the needs of people, that we become indifferent. But we, as Christians, should be especially sensitive about how we express ourselves. Even in our strong disagreements, we can firmly and strongly disagree with others without being disrespectful and dishonoring.

Galatians 6:9-10 (NKJV) reminds us:

“Let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are in the household of faith.”

Everyone can have an opinion, but God’s opinion is what matters. One of the biggest challenges in our society today is the lack of civility and character we display in our disagreements, even in the Church. I’ve never seen so many people who are so adamant and opinionated, politically and otherwise, that they allow their preferences to divide their families, their friendships, and even their churches. It’s painful, agonizing, and heartbreaking, especially from those representing Christ.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’” (Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV)

God is no respecter of persons. His character, nature, word, and Spirit are unwavering. God is God, and we are not. It’s important for us to align our hearts with His, not to justify our actions or wants, according to the flesh. Just as the commander of the Lord’s Army said, we are here to represent the Lord.

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL:

I went through those weeks of seeking God and hearing those words in my mind over and over and over again: Exposure. Implosions. Explosion.

Those weeks of agonizing and travailing, interceding and praying, processing about the season we’re coming into in 2023, all culminated on that one evening, in that moment where the breakthrough came and tears began to flow. But before that could happen, I had to offer myself fully to the Lord, so He would create in me, first, a clean heart.

God is about to pour out His Spirit, and I want to be humbly yielded to Him, rooted in Him, and sensitive to Him. When He speaks, I want to draw near to hear so I can move quickly to respond.

Yes, there will be an exposure of things done in darkness. It will reveal sin, but also shine a light on those who have not compromised. When the things we’ve leaned on and trusted in (the institutions of men) begin to implode around us, we will not walk in fear; instead, we will know that there’s about to be an explosion of the manifest presence of God!

May I encourage you today to return to the simplicity of the Gospel! Get back to that place of just being in love with the Lord, where you remember the joy of Your salvation. In that place, we can all walk in the fullness of His anointing, calling, and purposes in our generation.

Will we choose the Beast or the Lamb? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Doug Stringer

May we remember what Memorial Day is about🤍🇺🇸

Our celebrations are because of all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and liberties.

All of us are beneficiaries of the many sacrifices made, prices paid, and foundations laid for us to build upon.

Jesus set the greatest example for us and in His words,

“Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

And following the Lord’s example, there are brave men and women who daily lay their lives down for their neighbors, their community, their country. 🙏

We honor and remember each of them this Memorial Day. And as we do, we continue to lift up those who are serving our nation even today on foreign soil and at home.

We lift up those in the military as well as first responders. And we are thankful for all who are serving them each day bringing hope and healing!

🙌🕊️

This book is out today! The important message on leadership from the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah can shift our nation.

Grab it now:

Stepping Up to Lead: Rebuilding a Nation in the Footsteps of Nehemiah (Christians Engaged to Transform Culture) Stepping Up to Lead: Rebuilding a Nation in the Footsteps of Nehemiah (Christians Engaged to Transform Culture)

Keith Green music left an indelible impact on my earliest years in the Lord and ministry!

This is one of his songs that still plays in my mind and heart. “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful, Your face is all I see…”

Keith Green - Oh Lord, You're Beautiful (live) This is the original draft of Keith's song "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful." He ministers it here live for what seems to be the first time. You'll notice differen...

Houston Area friends! Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 21st at 7 p.m. Location - Nations House of Prayer / CoreLuv for Orphans Houston.

Join me for what we are calling, “Meet Me At The Well” to have a time of discussion, reflection and prayer on Awakening and Revival. From Houston to the Four Corners of the Globe...

Recently I shared on a national zoom call that the Church is at a Fork in the Road, Our Nation at a Crossroads…as part of continuing this conversation, I would like to personally invite you to a gathering we are hosting in Houston on May 21 (location TBD), called “Meet Me at the Well.” This will be a time to come together in person as we continue to unpack what the Lord is saying in this hour and to seek Him together for clarity, direction, and response.

Interestingly, May 21 also falls on Shavuot on the Hebrew calendar, known to many as Pentecost—the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on those gathered in Jerusalem as they sought the Lord.

If you’re interested, then email us at [email protected] or contact my office in Houston.

Doug