Love Affair of the Ages: The Love Between the Father and Son

By Dr. Michael Shepard

This book takes you on a journey of the relationship, holy passion, and Divine commitments between Father God and His Son Jesus. As these truths are unfolded they provide the foundation for fruitfulness and fulfillment in our lives as followers of Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669850335

Dr. Michael Shepard

Michael Shepard is currently serving as the Staff Pastor at Joyce Meyer Ministries. He has been in full time pastoral ministry for over 35 years. He earned his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College with majors in Math, History, and Religion. Michael earned his Masters of Ministry and Doctorate of Ministry degrees from Pillsbury College and Seminary with an emphasis in Expository Studies in the New Testament. The fire in his heart is a passion for Jesus and to raise up leaders after His heart. Michael has been happily married to his wife, Pennie, for over 35 years. He is the father of two daughters. Hannah Joy, along with her husband Mark and four sons, live in San Antonio, Texas. Leah Grace works for the Disney Co. and lives in Orlando, Florida.

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Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Michael Shepard.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover Design by: Leah Grace Martin

Rev. date: 10/05/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

826163

CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter 1 Dance of the Ages — A Review

Chapter 2 Has Someone Danced Here Before?

Chapter 3 A Father’s Love for His Son

Chapter 4 A Son’s Love for His Father

Chapter 5 Christianity or Human-anity?

Chapter 6 A Tale of Two Inheritances

Chapter 7 His Good Pleasure

Chapter 8 The National Anthems of Heaven

Chapter 9 Motives and Motivation

Chapter 10 Good Redefined

Chapter 11 The Way of the Cross

Chapter 12 Realignment

Chapter 13 As It Has Been…So Shall It Ever Be!

DEDICATION

Whatever fruit that could come from this mere human, I have learned, over time, to give due honor. A true saying indeed…to God be the glory, to others be the credit, and to me be the privilege.

To Him alone be all glory that is due! All that I have is what He has given me. As well, I count and claim nothing as coming from myself. Finally, Far be it from me to boast or glory in anything except the cross of Christ.

Much credit needs to be handed out…

To my wife Pennie, the love of my life. No doubt, ‘I’ve got the best, you can have the rest!’ She knows my weaknesses more than all, yet she believes in, rejoices in, and affirms the strength of God in me, perfected in my weaknesses.

To my grown daughters Hannah and Leah, along with their husbands Mark and John, my greatest crowns of joy. As you have evolved in God, you have honored my own evolution of understanding and revelation in God, as a father. You have loved me thru my journey so well.

To my spiritual fathers, mentors and models of Christlikeness. You know who you are and may heaven reward you handsomely for your rich deposit into this man. To my mother, grandmother (Nana), and aunt (Beverly) true mothers of the faith.

Lastly, all the privilege is mine. Still with spot and wrinkle, undeserving, yet forever grateful!

FOREWORD

Once connected with God, I was stunned by the many privileges of knowing Him. His promises, provision, protection, as well as a myriad of other pleasures were dizzying. Oh, the joy that I found in my imperfect, yet wholehearted, journey of walking with Him.

Strangely, over time, I felt a certain dissatisfaction…not with God, but with the trajectory of my own heart. A preoccupation with my life, even in God, became tiring. The altitude of my own motives was too horizontal rather than vertical. All was well...yet all was not right!

It’s as if I needed a re-centering...a re-centering of the soul. Slowly, I began to see that I was living in the lowlands of self-absorption rather than the mountains of being absorbed for the glory of God.

The scripture rang true to the void of my heart: He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:15). As I altered my course to focus on living for Christ, I felt freshly energized in purpose, and I began the climb to another altitude—living for His glory with a zeal for His Kingdom.

The journey is forever but the path is becoming more clear. All the rivers of His truth, character, and purpose empty out into the vast ocean of His glory!

Colossians 1:16-17 says, For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. I began to coin this truth, this relationship between Father God and His Son, the love affair of the ages—the grand love between the Father and the Son…the grand glory that has always belonged to them.

Come take a hike with me upon the trails of this journey through the following pages. Let us experience, together, the love affair of the ages!

CHAPTER 1

Dance of the Ages — A Review

In the first book of this trilogy, we surveyed the richness of one’s