“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezk 22:30)

The greatest need in the world today is for fathers, good fathers being a regenerated man in the image of our heavenly Father, functioning as a regenerated man, taking responsibility as a regenerated man, thinking like a regenerated man, acting like a regenerated man, working and walking with the heavenly Father as the True Vine. Fathers as branches of the Heavenly Father goes beyond headship privilege or control in the family but a call to responsibility with the  Heavenly Father’s heart. Without the Father’s heart, husband becomes ‘horseband’ and paradise becomes a desert. In the Bible, David, could run a kingdom and lead men into battle, but could not run his family (1Kg 1:5,6). Eli could run the temple but could not run his family (1Sam 3:13). It was indeed a blind indulgence on the part of Eli and he paid for it. What a lesson for fathers today.

The two sides of fatherhood as a delight and challenge points us to being called as branches of our heavenly Father. The home needs a father in the house not just a man. Churches needs fathers not just a manager. My reflection is that fatherhood is a spiritual business and to overcome its present crisis fathers need to receive the Spirit of abiding as branches of the heavenly Father. Bearing in mind that children loves their mothers, but follows their fathers, Fathers, branches of the heavenly Father are to command their children and their household after Him, keeping the way of the Heavenly Father (Gen 18:19). We need fathers, branches of heavenly Father, Jehovah Shammah, the God Who is There in Truth and Spirit. In Mark 5, we read about Jairus, a religious man, a ruler of local synagogue, but unlike David and Eli, Jairus was a father in truth and spirit. In the face of his daughter’s death, Jairus, a father, branch of the heavenly Father sought out Jesus bearing in mind that children are heavenly Father’s gift. Father’s Day celebration summons fathers at homes as branches of Heavenly Fathers to empower the family unit as the primary platform for the biblical and spiritual nurturing of children. The world needs fathers like Jairus who was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus. Our nation needs Christian homes where Jesus resides just as he did in Jairus’ home, homes beyond where Jesus is more than picture on the wall. We needs home where Jesus Christ is welcome,  his presence acknowledged, word obeyed and his name is honoured. The reflection is that Jairus’ daughter, the damsel, represents our children today, they need the touch of Jesus to arise and shine (Mark 5:41).

To avert destruction, our nations need fathers with the Father’s heart to make up the hedge and stand in the gap, praying before our heavenly Father for the healing of our nations. Just as the thought and plan of our heavenly Father for his people is good, loving but orderly, the fathers as the branches of the Heavenly Father bears a special responsibility for the moral and spiritual life of the family. Father’s day summons fathers to give hope and love we have received from our heavenly Father. Fathers as the branches of the heavenly Father summons us beyond what we teach our children but who we are as fathers before the heavenly Father, our wives, children, churches, and nations. The reflection is ‘will your children hope in God if you hope in money? Will your children be happy in God if they see that fishing is a happier experience for you than worship? Will your children be confident in God if your whole demeanour communicates the desire to be seen as self-confident?’ The Bible taught us to imitate and honour our heavenly Father in holiness and righteousness (1 Pet 1:16).

The most important step that a father can do for the sake of his family, children, society, church and the world is to be converted (Matt 18:3). We need kingdom fathers for God’s kingdom on earth. The most important strategy for leading and nurturing godly family, growing and healthy churches  is to become a new man in Christ — whose hope and happiness and confidence are in God and not in himself. To be like our heavenly Father, the book of James calls fathers to be rooted in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, to establish a confident relationship with God for compassionate service through careful speech, contrite submission and concerned sharing of the Gospel. We are in such a time when the hearts of our youth are becoming spiritless and discourage with increase in suicide rate.  They need to be filled with hope, happiness, confidence in God and courage to attempt great things for the glory of God. Just as our heavenly Father summons and provokes us to His mission, this father’s day calls us to provoke our children to God’s mission, family renewal and society confidence and trust in God.

Fathers as branches of the Heavenly Father calls us to promote the spirit of holiness in a secular culture where the spirit of moral hope and trust are broken especially through calculated, deceitful and hypocritical social media maneuvering. Fathers as branches of our Heavenly Fathers summons us to get connected to the True Vine. Fathers are called to be the Heavenly Fathers branches all over the world, abiding in Him and bringing forth much abiding fruits (Jn 15:5, Acts 2:41,47). Fathers, without getting connected to the heavenly Father, we can do nothing, the church will decline, the family will continue to struggle and nations may not be at ease.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY WITH RENEWED HEART

Prayer: Let us pray for single parents, wives whose husbands are not save and fathers of unsaved children. Please remember families caught up in the Grenfell Tower fire disaster and other recent attacks in London, Manchester, Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. Let us pray for healing of homes and marriages. Please pray for total healing of President Buhari and Nigeria peaceful co-existence.