Father of Lights: Cruel God and cruel men.

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT

 God is a Good Father. He has revealed Himself as the Father of Lights. In Him, there exists no darkness at all. He is not the author or orchestrator of death, disaster, or destruction. He is the author of Abundant Life. 

 Does it matter whether we receive and understand this truth? Absolutely. If we want our faith to grow strong and steadfast, we must know the character of the One who makes the promise. Trust is built on knowing the heart behind the words. If we are to confidently trust a Savior who offers eternal life through simple belief, we must be fully convinced of the goodness and integrity of the One who offered it.

 As important as those things are, there is another reason we must know the character of God. We are told to emulate, to be like God throughout the Word. We have sayings like;

 What would Jesus do?

 If we think of Jesus and the Father and the Spirit as harsh taskmasters who are quick to punish, point out our sins and shortcomings, and separate themselves from us, how will we treat others? 

 When men believe they serve a cruel God, they themselves will become cruel. If they see God as angry, obsessed with rules, and determined to make them do what they dread simply to prove His power, it will shape their hearts into the same harsh image. A distorted view of God always produces a distorted life.

 The Lens of the Heart

The way we perceive God becomes the lens through which we see everything else.
If we believe God is unpredictable, harsh, and ready to lash out, we will approach life with fear, suspicion, and anxiety.
We will struggle to rest, to trust, or to live with joy — because deep down, we will always be bracing ourselves for the next blow.

But if we see Him as the Father of Lights, the One who is pure goodness with no shadow of turning, our hearts can finally exhale.
We can live freely, joyfully, and fearlessly, rooted in the unwavering love of a perfect Father.

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

Religious Fear Produces Religious Cruelty

Many believers today, though sincere, have been taught to fear God in the wrong way.
Not with a holy awe for His majesty and grace, but with a terror of punishment and rejection.
This false fear hardens hearts. It produces believers who are more judgmental than joyful, more condemning than compassionate.

The truth is, a cruel view of God creates cruel men.
If you believe God is constantly displeased with you, you will live displeased with yourself and others.
You will feel justified in being critical, harsh, and unkind because you think that's how God is.

This isn't holiness. It's hurt wearing a religious mask.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." (1 John 4:18)

The Father of Lights

Our God is not two-faced. He is not sometimes good and sometimes cruel.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever — good, faithful, merciful, and kind.

He corrects His children, yes — but He corrects by reminding us who we are in Christ, not by crushing us with calamity.
He leads by love, not by fear. He builds up — He doesn’t tear down.

Beloved, reject every image of God that is less beautiful than Jesus.
Reject the religious lie that portrays the Father as cruel, calculating, and condemning.
Embrace the radiant truth that your Father is the Father of Lights — and in Him, there is no darkness at all.

You were created to reflect the One you behold.
Behold His goodness — and you will shine.

 Religious traditions' distortion of God has created the image of a cruel God. This cruel image causes the thinking of the religious mind to be programmed to condemnation, shame, and guilt. We direct this first toward ourselves, and afterwards to others around us.  

 This makes us forget who the Father is. We forget that we cannot come to God based on our merits. We forget that it was only the shed blood of Jesus that makes us worthy. 

Summarizing, why must we know and understand how good God truly is? Because everything in the Christian life rests upon this truth. His goodness and His grace are not side notes—they are the very foundation! The entire Christian life rises or falls on this revelation. His goodness is the anchor of our faith, and His grace is the melody of the Gospel—without them, there is no true Christianity, only cold religion.

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Father of Lights: What is the Chastening of the Lord

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT

 If one subject or concept has caused much misunderstanding in the Body of Christ, it is the chastening of the Lord. The belief that God punishes His children or inflicts hardship to teach them a lesson is one of the most damaging lies a believer can hear. 

 It distorts the very nature and character of God, painting a Father who wounds to correct, rather than one who heals to restore. This misconception doesn’t just create confusion—it erodes trust, hinders intimacy, and misrepresents the heart of the Father revealed through Jesus.

Chastening is often misunderstood because it’s rarely defined by its true New Testament Greek meaning. Instead, people interpret it through the lens of painful experiences and outward hardships. These events become the definition of the chastening of the Lord rather than the Scriptures themselves. This is why people see God as a harsh taskmaster.

Observable hardships and adversity seem to be some kind of proof of divine discipline in the minds of traditional religious believers. But biblical chastening isn’t about punishment—it’s about loving instruction and correction that aligns with God’s goodness and grace. The chastening of the Lord is loving instruction and correction from our Father, who cares for us.

 The Lord's chastening is the Father's instruction to His child. It is correction, not condemnation. It is the conviction of your Righteousness in Christ, not catastrophes. It is coaching, not cancer. God is not crushing you, He comforts you and corrects you because He loves you.

 Hebrews 12 gives us the most detailed look at what the chastening of the Lord really is. It is not calamities and cataclysmic events in your life. It is God's instruction. A basic Bible search of the Greek word chasten will show you how, in other passages, it is translated as instruction, teaching, and learning.

Think about it: when Paul wrote to the church at Corinth—a group indulging in all kinds of excesses and immorality—he never once said, “God is going to chasten you with hardship.” Instead, he reminded them of who they were in Christ:

“Don’t you know you are the temple of the Holy Spirit?”

“Such were some of you, but you were washed, sanctified, and justified…” 

God’s correction comes through reminding you of your identity—not sending disaster to break your will.

 Why do so many ministers and believers, though, continue defining chastening as hardship and adversity? The reason for this, to me, is that they have a fearful expectation of judgment. That is, they have a fear of punishment. I believe the Apostle John has some insight into this.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. So the one who fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 MOUNCE

 So many define chastening from the Lord as painful instruction and punishment because they have not been perfected in Love. That is, they have not been seen, understood, or gained insight into God's perfect Love for them! When you know and believe that God Loves you and is not mad at you when you fail, you won't believe it's His hands bringing destruction and calamity to your life. 

God is a good Father. He doesn’t chasten His children with pain, punishment, or destruction. He corrects us the way a loving parent would—with instruction, compassion, and clarity. His correction aligns with His character—He is the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation, no shifting shadow, and no hint of darkness.

To say God teaches us through cancer, car accidents, or catastrophe is to say Jesus bore our sin but not our discipline. It’s to suggest that the cross was not enough. But the truth is, Jesus already bore the curse. He already took the punishment. God isn’t doubling back to teach you a lesson through what Jesus died to redeem you from.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t discipline you by destroying your life—He disciplines you by reminding you of your sonship. He teaches you who you are in Christ. When correction is needed, He brings it through the Word, not wrath. Through love, not loss. Through grace, not grief.

So the next time you hear someone say, “God is using this hardship to teach me,” don’t be afraid to ask: “Where’s that in the New Covenant?” Because chastening—real biblical chastening—is God training you up in righteousness. It’s not a divine smackdown. It’s not a trial sent from heaven. It’s your loving Father whispering truth to your heart:

“That’s not who you are. You are holy. You are Mine. Let Me show you a better way.”

This is correction that leads to confidence, not condemnation. This is discipline that reminds you who you are, not punishment that makes you afraid of who He is.

Beloved, reject the religious lie that God teaches through trauma. He teaches through truth. He corrects by revealing your righteousness. He doesn’t bring storms—He calms them. He doesn’t break legs—He heals them. He’s not tearing you down. He’s building you up.

He is the Father of Lights. And in Him, there is no darkness at all.

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Father of Lights: Mercy not wrath!

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT

God our Father is a Good Father and in Him is no darkness within Him. He is Good and only does Good. Yet when we see this world around us, filled with famine, disasters, and desolation, we begin doubting His Goodness.

 In these times, we must focus on who God said He was and look to the Son, Jesus who perfectly demonstrated the nature and character of God. Circumstances and situations don't determine who God is. His Word and the work of Jesus do! 

 As we continue studying more about the Father of Lights and examining God's Goodness at all times, let's address this notion of God's wrath and judgment on cities, nations, and continents. God is Good, but is He sending judgment today? Are disasters and destruction the handiwork of God?

 In 2011, the Fukushima disaster occurred in the nation of Japan. It was a terrible tragedy. An earthquake struck the island nation. Subsequently, a tsunami was triggered as a result of this quake. This destruction also caused a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. 

 The Christian response to this tragedy? In some circles, they claimed this tragedy was the judgment of God on this Godless nation. For hundreds of years they have rejected Jesus as a nation therefore God sent this devastating disaster to get their attention and to cause them to repent and turn to God. 

 These sentiments are not what brings about a change of mind. Instead, these teachings and proclamations are one of the reasons the Japanese people refuse to accept Jesus or have anything to do With the Father! Is this the message that God endorses and confirms?

 Absolutely not! Look at what He has said already. 

Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4 MEV

 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him.10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. Romans 5:8-10 MEV

 Look at what God declared and revealed to us in the person of Jesus. If God gave up His only Son for us while we were enemies, what would He do after this perfect final sacrifice was offered up and He accepted it fully? 

 If we were enemies and He gave us His Son why do we think under this New Covenant God is sending destructive judgment and wrath on nations? Enemies are adversaries. They are actively opposing and standing against their foe. If God expressed His love for humanity when we were actively resistant and opposing God by giving His Son how much more loving, kind, and merciful is the Father under Grace? 

 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 TLB

 In this 2011 disaster over 19,000 people lost their lives. These are people with families and loved ones. How do we tell these precious people who lost their loved ones that God killed them to get their attention? How do we tell them God killed their babies so they will repent, and then afterward ask, now don't you want to receive Him and serve Him?

 God is a Good Father. How dare we as the Church misrepresent the Father to a lost and fallen people? These who are lost, are sheep scattered with no Shepherd. God's heart is for them to know how much He loves them and how precious they are to Him.

 In a fallen and fractured creation, tectonic plates shift, causing increased damage and devastating destruction. This has nothing to do with God's wrath and judgment. I saw God's hand in the rescue, relief, and rebuilding efforts, not in the destruction.

God loves the Japanese people. God wants them saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, healed, made whole, and at rest in Him. We must not misrepresent the Father to a lost and dying world. God is Good and only does Good! 

 God is not the author of disasters. He is not sending destruction to any nation. He is sending the power of the Spirit to the nations. He is revealing His Love and Goodness to the world. He is not sending destruction in wrathful judgment today. 

 Jesus took all the punishment for the sins of all humanity. He bore in His body the wrath and judgment of God. God is satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son. If He is sending wrath and judgment with tsunamis, tornados, and typhoons that could only mean He is not satisfied with the work of His Son on the Cross, and that is not the truth. Let’s represent the Father rightly. Jesus revealed a God who saves, not destroys. When tragedy strikes, let our message be mercy, not wrath. God isn’t sending disasters—He sent Jesus. And Jesus is enough.

 Let’s be a generation that represents the Father accurately. Let’s proclaim what Jesus came to reveal: a God who rescues, not ruins—who saves, not strikes—who loves, not lashes out. When disaster strikes, the Church should not echo wrath but embody rescue. Let the message we carry be clear—God is not mad at the world; He gave His Son for it. And that Son, Jesus, fully satisfied the justice of God. All that remains is mercy, grace, and the invitation to come home to a Father who is always Good.

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Father of Lights: Healing mercies

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT

 James declares God to be the Father of Lights. That is the Father in whom there is no darkness and is always Good. Christians need to know and understand who God really is. He is a Good Father, not a harsh taskmaster.

 When we consider the work of Jesus during His earthly ministry, we see Him heal the masses of their sicknesses and diseases. Religious tradition claims Jesus only healed to prove He was the Jewish Messiah. It seems this was a mere wooden, mechanical reaction to the gathering masses. 

 In the mind of the religious, it had nothing to do with God's Love, kindness, Goodness, and mercy. It was merely a mechanical fulfillment of prophecies given long ago and to establish His identity to people. If healing was more than just proving His identity, religious people would have to give an account and answer as to why they teach God no longer heals or brings restoration and wholeness.

 The Scriptures tell a different story. They reveal to us a Father who loves us. They affirm a Savior who was moved with mercy and compassion to restore that which was broken. God is a Good God and He heals because He loves humanity. He created us, surely He loves us as well.

Whenever Jesus healed, we can see the correlation between compassion and the ministry of divine healing. It is the compassion of the Lord that brings wholeness. Faith is trusting in His Love and Goodness. Faith is having a good opinion of God! Faith is being fully persuaded. Persuaded about what though? Fully persuaded that God is a Good Father who loves us unconditionally and is for us and never against us.

 Now someone may say they don't feel worthy to receive healing. I want to share a story from the life of Abraham to offer hope and bring greater clarity to the Lord's loving kindness in healing. Look at Genesis 20. 

 So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; Genesis 20:17 NKJV

 This is the first instance recorded in God's Word of divine healing. The law of first mention really helps us get a blueprint and insight into who God is. The law of first mention is a scholarly way of Bible interpretation. Basically, it simply means the first time an event occurs or a word is used, we typically use that instance or definition to define that word or similar event when we see it again in Scripture.

 This passage beautifully illustrates the Love and mercy of God in bringing divine healing. How so? Abraham lied to the people, and the king took a married woman into his palace to be one of his wives. So, both King Abimelech and Abraham were not "worthy" based on their behavior or performance to pray for anything, let alone receive something from a holy God. 

 Yet we see God answer Abraham's prayer for healing and Abimelech's household receiving healing. This beautiful passage reveals to us healing is never about us and our goodness or behavior. It's all about the Goodness of God.

 The Father of Lights brings healing and wholeness because of His Goodness and holiness, not our own. His healing is based on His merciful kindness and compassion and not on something we have done to merit receiving it. Healing is rooted in God's mercy and Love. 

 In summation, let's put our trust in His Goodness alone and not our achievements or merits. He heals because He loves us. He procured our redemption on the Cross, and that's what brings healing, not anything we can do. 

If you’ve ever doubted whether healing is for you, remember: It’s not about your worthiness, but about His goodness. Right now, choose to trust in His love and receive the healing He freely gives!

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