Making the Father Known – How?

Everyday hundreds of people walk by Oceans Retreat Center and see our new sign. During that first week it was put up I could hear conversations of people asking, “what is Oceans?” And “what does making the Father Known mean?” It opens a great door for us to share our mission, but it also prompts me to ask ,”how are we making the Father known?”

A few months ago I gave the Oceans board & staff the assignment to choose a Gospel, spend a month reading it, and then answering the question, “how did Jesus make the Father known?” This was the purpose Jesus came to earth- to reveal the Father’s love to a lost and dying world (John 3:16, John 17:3,26). If by faith you have died with Christ and have been raised to new life through His resurrection your mission and my mission is to make our Abba Father’s love known to an insecure and fearful world just as Jesus did.

As the Oceans team pondered the Gospels for a month they came up with 7 key points revealing how Jesus modeled for us how to made the Father’s love known. The first take away from the text is to Live a life of total dependence . Jesus didn’t do anything without listening to the heart beat of His Father. He stated, “the Son can do nothing by Himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing…the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does,” John 5:19-20.

In fact, Jesus didn’t start His ministry until He was filled with the Father’s love through the Holy Spirit at His baptism. Daily I watch hundreds of people walk by the Retreat Center-which daily reminds me that I need the Father’s love to wash over me as just as Jesus did. It is only when I find my security in His love-that I can truly love. The Father’s love is the most powerful light that will overcome the darkest soul. Daily I need to be reminded of and receive His love in total dependence. It has to be the very breath I breathe, so I can then release the aroma of His grace to those around me.

As we enter in this beautiful season of Lent I challenge you to open your Bible to Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, one of the Gospels and ask the Spirit to show you how Jesus made the Father known. It is amazing to note that everything flowed out of Jesus’ intimate, dependent, love relationship with His Father. May you also experience that total dependent love and watch how His love overflows.