My 39th Birthday!

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As I held tightly to my fresh brewed coffee early this past Sunday morning it dawned on me it was November 26…my 39th birthday! Some of you are saying, “ya right-the hair that you still have on your head is gray and the wrinkles on your face are a dead give away that you succeeded the age of 39.” Yes, the hair and aging body declare it was not my physical birthday but the 26th was my spiritual birthday!

The Father gave me a great birthday gift that morning. I had been asked to preach in a Korean church in Denver for their mission Sunday and invited to share the work of Oceans Ministries. For some reason I felt drawn to preach from John 3:16, to be honest I’m not sure in all my years of ministry I ever exclusively preached from just this verse. Perhaps many of you have this scripture coveted to memory:

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life…

As I pondered these familiar words the Father reawakened the memory of that day 39 years ago when I “heard” the Simple Gospel presented by the English Pastor J. Sidlow Baxter. I thank God for that message that forever transformed my life. As Rev. Baxter preached about the gift of the Father’s love fully demonstrated through the death of His Son Jesus on the Cross my heart leaped out of my chest. Even though I had grown up hearing this message again and again, it was that particular Sunday night that the Holy Spirit unveiled the sin and gunk in my heart and with spiritual eyes enabled me to see my need for a Jesus the perfect Savior. At the end of the service an invitation was given to receive what God the Father had to offer and so with big tears splatting on my blue ski coat I found my self at the altar being washed with waves of love and forgiveness. November 26, 1978 I was given the gift of a new life born from above by the Spirit of the living God.

Sharing John 3:16 this past Sunday morning to the beautiful Korean congregation caused my heart to be overwhelmed with the Goodness of the Father-that His Spirit would bring me to this text on my Spiritual Birthday and remind me of His love. I continue to thank Him for transforming a fearful 13-year-old boy and giving him the assurance that he was a beloved child of God. What a joy to celebrate my spiritual birthday by remembering the Simple Gospel message and shouting praises to the Giver of the most precious gift!

I pray that the Holy Spirit will not only bring to mind your Spiritual birthday but also other landmarks of faith in your life. During this Christmas season may He illuminate your path with moments to share this wonderful gift of the Simple Gospel with others!

 

 

 

 

Thanks-Giving: The Joy of being like our Dad

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Trucks and trunk loads of food overwhelmed Parker Task Force food bank last Friday. My friend Steve, who runs the food bank, called me up to help out as they ramped up for the Thanksgiving donations soon to be given to hundreds of individuals and families.

Volunteers struggled to keep up with the constant supply of turkeys, cranberry sauce, potatoes, stuffing, and lots of pumpkin pies–I have to confess my mind triggered hunger pains and thoughts of hijacking a pie along with a container of whipped cream to hide in a corner to indulge for just a few minutes, but I resisted.

In the midst of the frenzy of activity there was this intangible evidence of love, joy, and peace. Yes, it was busy and people were scrambling all over the place, but everything felt good and right. Maybe the best way to describe it was a taste of Heaven entered the building. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages worked together either donating or sorting food AND something or SOMEONE powerful united hearts together as each one gave of their time and joyfully served others.

The combination of giving and serving had a transforming power, which produced joy, an authentic joy that made you want to stay right where you were, in a sense it was an act of worship. It was as if our Father was exclaiming, “this is what you are made for!” When we give away our time, talents, and treasures we reflect the very heart of our Heavenly Father. The Bible tells us everyone on this planet is created in His image (Gen. 1:27) and at the Heart of our Father is a love that never stops giving. Don’t forget our Father so loved the world that He gave His most precious and costly gift to us-His only Son (Jn. 3:16). When we participate in giving-even the most insignificant gifts-we somehow connect to our Father’s Heart and a joy from heaven is released into our hearts that brings heaven to earth.

Picture for a moment what our consumer world would look like if each one of us spent more time imitating our Father in Heaven. What if we generously gave such love away without expecting anything in return? Friday I witnessed a beautiful painting depicted such an image! It was joyful! It was fun! It was something I hope we all can be apart of often-not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas-but the holidays are a good place to start.

Perhaps this Thanksgiving season each of us can give thanks to your Dad by an act of giving that will result in Heaven’s JOY coming to earth.

Oceans Ministries 2017 Thanksgiving Report

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“O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things.” Isaiah 25:1

Praise for The Father’s “Perfect Faithfulness and Marvelous Things.”

These words best describe the passion of Oceans-which is to make the love of the Father known to physical and spiritual orphans around the world! We have witnessed the Father’s “perfect faithfulness” by which He has “done marvelous things” this past year through People, Partner Ministries, Publications, Provision, and Prayer.

People

Encountering Jesus – Weekly we get the privilege of seeing Jesus through sharing the Father’s love to the homeless in downtown Denver, seminars in jails and prisons, speaking in schools and churches, retreats, individual counseling and bringing teams to Lesotho Africa.

Mike & Dawn Verkaik – We praise the God for Mike and Dawn jumping into the “Ocean” with us this September. God has already used Mike in amazing ways to raise up a new generation of disciples that will radically live the Kingdom of God through trips to Africa. Mike will oversee the work of the teams that go to Lesotho, Africa as well as representing Oceans Ministries in the Midwest and the East Coast.

Michelle Bennett – We praise God for Michelle’s step of faith to move to Lesotho, Africa and serve at Beautiful Gate Care Center. It is Oceans privilege to be her spiritual covering and support.

Lerato Motsiane – Lerato is a young man, orphaned at an early age in Lesotho whom we have had the privilege of working alongside at Beautiful Gate. We believe God has a calling on his life to do missions in Africa. We praise God that we can help provide for his education at the Youth with a Mission training center in South Africa.

Partner Ministries

Beautiful Gate Care Center – We have been so blessed to walk along side of BG with teams from the US, support, and work projects. The staff and the children continually teach us what the Kingdom of God looks like. We have the privilege of providing a leadership conference and vision trip at BG in January 2018 as well as exposing other high school teams to this God ordained center in March and June.

Bountiful Hope – We praise our Father for this ministry that continues to educate 80 orphan high school students in Lesotho each year. Oceans’ has been blessed to provide pizza parties, mini retreats, and watch these young people with broken lives impact our teams in powerful ways as Christ shines through their brokenness.

Somonkong Children’s Center – We have been asked by Beautiful Gate to partner with them in helping this struggling orphanage in the mountains of Lesotho. The needs are great, however we have already been amazed how our Good Father has moved in the hearts of those in the states to come alongside this vital work.

Jesus on Colfax/Parker Task Force – It has been a rich blessing each week to team up with these ministries to provide food and the Good news of God’s love to the homeless in hotels on Colfax St. in Aurora, Colorado.

Publications

Climbing Prayer Mountain – We are so thankful for how God put this devotional together and the how it is being used in churches, small groups, and individual lives.

Journey to the Father’s Heart – God continues to open doors for this book to be used in prison ministries, small groups and individuals seeking healing from the Father’s love. We are happy to announce the Spanish version is almost complete.

Weekly Blogs & Podcast –

Provision

We stand in awe of how God has used many of you to help fund Oceans Ministries. Month after month He has showed Himself “perfect in faithfulness.” This truly is a testimony to the marvelous work of our Father, all glory to His name and thank you for being His vessel to bring the Father’s love to the nations.

Prayer for the Father’s Vision to be Unleashed

We are so thankful for all the prayers brought to the Father on behalf of Oceans Ministries. We know that none of the above could have happened without the Father’s hand moving through the prayers of His people. We ask you to continue to lift this ministry up so that we can continue to let the Father’s glorious love be made known to the ends of the earth.

Sincerely the Oceans Ministries Board

Tim Spykstra, Danell Czarnecki, Steve Dykstra, Curt Spykstra

Oceans Ministries

P0 Box 461024

Aurora, CO 80046

 

 

 

 

The Revelation of the Father – Walking on His Promises

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I still remember that balmy night sharing a cup of coffee at a café near the old city of Jerusalem. I was with a fellow graduate student in our study program. Craig said to me, “Tim, once you experience God in Israel you will have a passion to return.” He spoke as one with experience, as this was his 7th trip to Israel. And I will vouch that Craig was absolutely right. The moment the plane landed I truly felt a peaceful presence, a feeling like somehow this was home!

 

I am definitely a visual learner and all my senses came alive as we traveled through this small country. The Words of Scripture sprung to life. So many truths of the Father’s faithful promises were evident. One excursion took us to the southern desert ruins of Beersheba where Abraham lived and worshiped God. We trekked down to the well he dug, the same well Isaac reopened some years later, and the place where God spoke to Isaac and said:

 

I am the God of your Father Abraham. Do not be afraid for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham. Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD… (Gen. 26:23-25).

 

I have never been able to forget that day at Beersheba and God speaking through the land and His Word. It was an unbelievable moment to comprehend as I stood in the very place where Abraham and his son both worshiped God over 4000 years earlier. Abraham, and his miracle child Isaac, learned to trust in their Father God’s promises even when the promises seemed slow in coming. Yet, they handed over their hearts to their Father God in surrendered worship and believed and acted on the impossible.

 

That day as I walked on that sacred ground of promise, I couldn’t help but think that through Jesus I am one of Abraham’s “descendants” as I trust in a Father who does the impossible and keeps His promises-go ahead and read Romans 4. I believe in this next move of God the Spirit is calling us back to believe in a Father God who has the power to do the impossible in and through His children who trust in Him. We even have a greater advantage over Abraham as we have seen many of the promises of Abraham already fulfilled climaxing in Christ Jesus the King!

 

So may you walk boldly on His Promises as children of Father Abraham, even in the midst of this fractured, hurting world may you trust in the powerful promises of the Father’s love, which give you abundant life.

 

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Also, if you desire to join us as we physically walk on the Land of Promise a few spots are still available for the June 18-29, 2018 trip. Please contact Bryan Vander Tuig bryandvt6791@gmail.com or Tim Spykstra Tim.spykstra@oceansministries.org