It was a beautiful autumn night as we walked out of the movie theater. So nice we kept walking pondering the documentary we just saw called, “Show me the Father.” I said to Patty, “if the world really knew the love of God as Father it would be a totally different place.” Healing would flood over the deepest pains and darkest places where hate and evil reign because of not knowing a love we have been created for.

I know in the culture we live in the thoughts above will be mocked by many. But the older I get and the more I have experienced I am convinced that knowing such love is the hope for our hemorrhaging world. It won’t be a political party, a new public policy, a better educational system, more money, new toy, likes on social media, new lover, new gender identity, or whatever you can think of. Nothing can fill the longing void in the heart until one knows the love of “Abba Father,” (Romans 8:15).

The documentary highlights how many social ills such as crime, murder, suicide, addictions, gang violence, and rape; find their roots in fatherlessness. I would add on to that list greed, racial tensions, exploitation of the poor and needy among us, and homelessness. Earthy fathers are called to mirror the heavenly Father’s love but often because of sin the mirror is cracked and terribly distorted. I think how often I have fallen short of reflecting heavens love to my kids.

The enemy knows that if he can mess with earthly fathers and their calling to be a representative of the heavenly Father’s love he can gain a stronghold in the world. I’ve seen the effects of this as a pastor, working in prisons and with the homeless population. We are confronted with this daily in South Africa, as fatherless homes are the norm.

As Patty and I continued our walking and talking the other night, I said the healing that our world needs has to be a supernatural intervention from the Holy Spirit. Several years ago in my own life the Holy Spirit sovereignly intervened to show me “Abba Father and His overwhelming love.” That encounter would lead to what we are doing now with Oceans Ministries.

As we walked out of “Show me the Father” there was a sense of hope as real life stories reminded us that The Father is working in miraculous ways to show broken children His healing love. Jesus is the perfect picture of what the Father looks like. When you see Jesus you see the heart of the Father.

Yes, we are living in a historic time of brokenness around the world which is the perfect time for the Holy Spirit to wake us up to see the only One who can bring eternal healing. I would encourage you to see “Show me the Father,” it will give you much to ponder and I believe the answer to what our world desperately needs.

“Philip said, ‘Lord show us the Father and we will be satisfied. Jesus replied, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!’” (John 14:8-9)

 

 

 

One of the blessings of power outages or load shedding in South Africa is how it enhances our view of the stars. Without light pollution the night sky in the Southern hemisphere is dazzling leaving one speechless. On a good night you can see the Southern Cross, which is composed of 5 stars in the shape of a cross.

It is amazing to think that one of the brightest of the 5 stars is Alpha Crucis, which is only 321 light years from earth. To put that into perspective, if we were to board an airplane going 500 miles an hour it would take well over 4 million years to get there (feel free to check my math, not my best subject). I don’t know about you but those numbers hurt my head.

A few days ago I had a conversation with a US service man who served in Afghanistan. He was sharing his struggle with PTSD and his battle with addictions. As we talked about steps toward healing, he said one of the things that settles his soul is to climb up a mountain and let the stars speak. The stars always tell him “there is something out there bigger than me!”

The young man probably didn’t know it but he was following the advice of the prophet Isaiah who knew healing could be found by looking up:

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And He counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.” (Isaiah 40:26)

 The prophet Isaiah was addressing a group of people stressed out by the events of their day. They were looking to false gods who gave false hope to problems that need supernatural intervention. Only a God who created the billions times billions of stars and knew them by name had the power to rescue His children from the battles surrounding them.

Where are you looking for your hope? Politics, People, Plenty, Power, fleeting Pleasures of the day. Take a moment to go outside at night to look at the stars and think about the One who created them. Everything else is puny and as the apostle Paul said, “poop” compared to knowing Christ, the one who created the stars (see Philippians 3:7-9, Colossians 1:16-17).

I truly believe in the hour we are living in the Holy Spirit is calling the Father’s Children to “look up into the heavens” and behold the glory of God the Creator. He who made the stars, knows them by name, and makes sure none are lost does the same for the children He created.

Notice the famous promises given by Isaiah to those who look up to the Creator of the Stars as their only hope:

“He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31)