10 Years – What a Father!

I had to apologize to the mothers this past Sunday at the church where I was preaching, as the message  was not going to be a  typical Mother’s Day theme. Instead I wanted to share a scripture that still held a significant meaning for not just me but also my family.

You see, 10 years ago on Mother’s Day I shared with CrossPoint church in California, where I served, that we would be leaving to start a ministry called Oceans. On that day I also preached from Matthew 14:22-33, about Peter getting out of the boat to meet Jesus walking on the water in the midst of a storm.

All last week I was reflected on this passage and so then on Sunday I shared how over the last 10 years-and particularly  the last 4 ½ years living in Africa-I can relate to Peter who found himself sinking the moment he took His eyes off of Jesus. Covid, several literal storms that caused flooding on the campus, people issues, spiritual warfare, and Patty and I being separated from family and friends, would at times cause my eyes of faith to falter.

Yet, during those “drowning moments” the everlasting arms of the Father were ever present-grabbing us and pulling us out of despair and back into His ark of shalom. In the midst of moments of chaos He proved Himself always more than faithful.

You see this is the power of the Resurrection that I have been sharing in the last few blogs from John 20. The Resurrection tells us we are SEEN by the Father,  SOOTHED by HIS Spirit of love, SAFE because Jesus ascended and is the now reigning as King, and finally SECURE because God is our Father who will never let us go.

Remember this statement the resurrected Jesus says to Mary:

“Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to My brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God,” vs.17.

Right there is the message of the Gospel and Jesus chose Mary to be the first to hear it. Jesus lived, died, rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father so that we can fully be restored to our Father. The work of Christ is to bring us into the arms of our Heavenly Father-who will never let us go (see. Jn. 10:28-29). This is where our true identity is found, this is how we find true security in an insecure world.

We can become SECURE when we know we are being held forever in the Father’s everlasting arms. Way back 2002 I was at the Pacific Ocean and wrote in my journal, “One day you will be apart of a ministry called Oceans, where you will make the love of the Father known, Hab. 2:14.”

Now 22 years later, in Fish Hoek, SA where two Oceans come together, I stand amazed and testify to a faithful, loving Father, who floods our spirits with a supernatural security that comes from His Spirit in us.

The Oceans board and team praise God for miracle after miracle of His provision, His power, and His perfect love for His precious children. Our insecure world’s greatest need is to come to know the everlasting love of the Father. A Father who SEES us perfect in Christ, SOOTHES us by His powerful Spirit, keeps us SAFE through Christ the King, and gives us our true identity as His sons and daughters as we are SECURE in His everlasting arms.

I hope you can shout with us, “WHAT A FATHER!