Defending the Cause of the Fatherless

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Right now I’m in the middle of planning Oceans Ministries’ next trip to Lesotho, Africa, this coming January. I enjoy the planning and preparation phase of the trip, but have learned along the way to wait with anticipation of how God will impact each trip in unimaginable ways. Every time I have the privilege of leading a team I find myself surprised by God and the way He expands his kingdom through the hearts of His children.

I specifically remember a young woman from a previous trip sharing the ways she encountered her Abba, Father in Lesotho. During a walk around the Beautiful Gate campus her heart was broken over a young boy whose father had died the night before, leaving him an orphan. As she walked, thinking about the boy, she was surrounded by countless children who wanted nothing more than to be held and feel affection. Simply put, she saw more brokenness in a week than she had in her lifetime. Her response after she returned home astounded me. She said, “While I was in Africa the thought that kept going through my mind was this is Heaven, this is the closest I have ever been to Heaven.”   

As I listened to her words, I was struck again with the mystery of our Father God’s kingdom. How is it that through the brokenness of loss, hunger, and injustice she felt the love and acceptance of God through endless hugs from orphan children? I think the answer is this: As her heart softened and became broken for these children, she was sensing a fulfillment of God’s call in Psalm 82:3 to: Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. You see, God does some of his best work through brokenness, he uses it to open our ears to hear His voice, and through this, His kingdom expands.

Kingdom expansion is what we are seeing through our trips to Lesotho. This upcoming trip will focus on discipleship and the working of the Holy Spirit through our partner ministries in Lesotho. As always, Beautiful Gate is a focal point of our trip, but this summer we were also introduced to a care center in Semongkong, a two-hour drive from Beautiful Gate. During our visit the hearts of our volunteers ached for the children who live there with very little food, clothing or care.

Oceans Ministries has decided to partner with this care center to assist in meeting their needs and bringing hope. In fact, it will also be one of the focal points for the January trip we are planning right now. A few weeks ago I Skyped with some business people who will be joining us on the trip. These individuals also visited the Semongkong care center this summer and Christ’s call to care for the poor and broken came alive for them. Their response to action was like hearing the voice of God saying: “we can’t let those children go hungry!”

These memories, combined with the plans and details of this upcoming trip leave me excited and hopeful for what God will do next through our continued connection in Lesotho. If you feel the pull of the heart-strings of our Father, let us know we would love for you to join us.

– Mike Verkaik

 

On another note, Climbing Prayer Mountain is now available as an ebook on the Kindle platform.

Until the end of September, you can purchase the Kindle version on Amazon for the promotional price of $4.99. After that, the price will revert to $9.99.

The Weaving Ways of our Good Father

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For the next two weeks I asked Mike Verkaik to share some of his heart with you as Mike officially started with Oceans Ministries September 1. Please lift Mike, Dawn and their family up in prayer as they have taken this faith journey.

When my son and I were in Israel, our guide stopped us as we were walking to look at the side of a hill. What we saw were small sheep paths that were weaving up and down the mountain. That picture taught me a lot about our Father’s leading in our lives. For me, as I look back on my teaching years that took me from coast to coast and eventually to Oceans Ministries, rarely do I see a straight path.

During my teaching career I always found great joy and fulfillment in investing in the lives of young people. Ever since I graduated from college teaching and coaching has provided me with countless opportunities to do so. In the math classroom, it is an “Aha Moment”, when a student’s smile lights up their face after patient questioning helped them grasp a concept for the first time. In coaching track it is celebrating with an athlete after a personal best is achieved after months of training and pouring confidence in them they could reach their goal.

Since 2014, God has also placed me on a new path to invest in high school student’s lives, co-leading trips to Lesotho, Africa. This past year Tim and I have had many discussions about how God is ruining students’ hearts for His kingdom through our trips to Lesotho. The movement by the Holy Spirit in the lives of the participants has been amazing and contagious. We have seen this movement through student testimonies shared with teen moms, a young woman answering an alter call at a Basotho church, and countless moments where we stand in awe of His orchestration of events. I am so blessed to have a part in helping trip participates experience the kingdom God in Lesotho. Watching our Father make Himself known there is something I can never get enough of.

Tim and I have also both been blessed to disciple these young lives after their trip is completed. This summer, after returning from Lesotho with a group from Holland Christian High School, a young man texted me, “Hey Verkaik, yesterday Ben and I were talking about how we both have helping with mechanics in Lesotho on our mind. It doesn’t seem to fade. Was wondering if we could talk it over and throw some ideas around.” Later that week the two young men stopped at my house and shared the dream our Father had placed on their hearts. I smiled as I sat and listened in amazement at the passion and vision they were given to use their skill in auto mechanics. They shared ideas and questions for over an hour as I listened, prayed and wondered. My main question was, Abba, what are you going to do through these two young men on fire for your kingdom? Later that week I received a document with the details of their plan. For now, we talk, wait in anticipation and pray. This is just one example of how our Father is implanting a passion in young lives to use their gifts, serve long term, or ponder what God would have them do next.

Watching these young peoples hearts being ruined for the kingdom has ruined my heart, and given me a greater passion to follow with confidence and trust this curvy path I am on.

 

Tim with the team from Holland Christian Schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Spykstra Discusses Climbing Prayer Mountain

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I recently spoke with Henry Miersma about my new prayer devotional, Climbing Prayer Mountain. Here are some quotes from the conversation:

“It’s crazy how Climbing Prayer Mountain came together, but God put this book on the front burner… So I think He has something for it. I think that especially in the days that we’re living in… God is calling his body, His beautiful Bride, to seek His face. When we seek Him, we find Him.”

“Prayer is that incredible vehicle that brings us deeper into the heart of God, and that love relationship with God. That brings us the strength, the security, and the joy we need to make it in challenging days.”

Listen to the entire conversation below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:07 — 42.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Changing the Atmosphere

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Every Tuesday for the last year, we’ve knocked on Bronco Willy’s* door at a motel on East Colfax and asked him if he’d like burritos, bananas, chocolate chip cookies, and prayer. He usually says yes to all of the above. Willy is often sporting a Denver Bronco shirt and loves talking about football. After “Bronco talk,” Willy proceeds to share his prayer needs, which includes his battle with dark thoughts and feelings of insignificance. The ministry teams from Jesus on Colfax have turned Willy’s front door into a Holy place, pleading with the Father to show our brother His powerful love through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.

A few weeks ago Nate, one of the team members, spent a longer time then normal with Willy. When I walked by his door Nate had his hands on Willy’s shoulder and was praying fervently. As our groups finished the night and gathered together, Nate joined us beaming, and told us that Willy asked to receive Jesus into His heart. We all rejoiced with the courts of heaven at the miracle of salvation that broke into Willy’s life that night. After a year of praying with Willy for Jesus to release him from the darkness and bring him into the marvelous light of the Father’s love–heaven broke in. Alleluia indeed!

As we knocked on Willy’s door last Tuesday he opened the door with a smile. Instead of our small talk about the Broncos, he shared with us how he took the bus to church, and even though he got lost, eventually got to the right building and was overwhelmed by the love he experienced. Thank you God!!!

The miracle in Bronco Willy’s life shouts out to the life-changing power of prevailing prayer to change the atmosphere from bondage and darkness to the brightness of heaven’s glory invading earth. Tuesday nights on East Colfax in Aurora, Colorado can be extremely dark as Satan’s demons lurk in broken hearts that have attempted to find healing in his awful lies–lies that bring chaos and destruction. But over time we have witnessed how persevering prayer is our greatest weapon to pierce the darkness with the all-consuming light of the Father’s love for His children.

As I ponder the events going on in our world the last few weeks; protests filled with demonic hate, the never ending terrorist attacks, senseless murders, threats of nuclear war, crisis in churches, etc. There is only one way to change the atmosphere and that is through persistent prevailing prayer. Our enemy hates prayer and he knows when we keep “asking, seeking, and knocking” our Father is going to hear and unleash the gift of His Holy Spirit to flood the atmosphere with His glory (Luke 11:9-13).

Prayer changes the atmosphere. Prayer brings hope and that is exactly what the book Climbing Prayer Mountain is about–encouraging God’s children to develop a deeper relationship with Him in prayer. When that happens the atmosphere of His love begins to transform our lives and the lives of those around us, resulting in His Heavenly Kingdom invading earth. I appreciate so many of you letting me know you have already ordered a copy, please know I am praying our Good Father will use it for His glory as you seek Him in prayer. If this is the first time you are hearing about the book, feel free to go to http://climbingprayermountain.com/ find out more.

*name changed

The Gift of Prayer

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Africa-Daniel stopped by one day to ask for work while a group of students were painting a fence. I explained to Daniel that we were volunteers from the United States serving at Beautiful Gate and unfortunately didn’t have any additional work. He graciously nodded his head to say he understood and since he had nothing else to do he shared a few details of his life. For the last several weeks he had waited across the street with a large group of young men all hoping to obtain a day labor job at a Chinese clothing factory being built in Lesotho; however each day he and a host of others were passed up. Daniel stated the he wished he’d worked harder in school and how he ended up dropping out since his grades were poor. Now his daily grind consisted of waiting for work-and the truth was the chances of him being chosen were next to none.

As we talked another young man named Bernard crossed the street to listen in to the conversation. My heart broke for these two men and I felt their hopeless situation. Knowing only a miracle from the Father’s hand would supply a job to meet their basic needs I asked if they wanted to pray. To my surprise their faces lit up and they responded “yes!” As our team gathered together out of the corner of my eye I realized another group of men were running across the busy street from the worksite. In a matter of seconds our circle multiplied-right there on the red dirt of Africa heaven invaded our hearts! We joined hands together in prayer and asked God for the miracle of provision. None of us from the US had ever seen anything like it. None of us from the US will ever forget it. It is not everyday one witnesses men sprinting to join a circle of prayer. For many in Lesotho, prayer is the only hope, a gift necessary for survival.

The States-This past Sunday I entered into the Denver County Jail to teach on the Lord’s Prayer. I encouraged the men to turn to Luke 11 in their Bibles, but before I could get another word in a young man named Joshua shouted out, “Wait a minute I have no idea who Luke is. I’m brand new to this religious stuff!” The guys next to Joshua helped him locate the correct page and I decided this was a good place to start the study. I asked Joshua if he would share with us how he came to the “religious stuff!” Joshua shared that while he was living on the streets a man prayed for him. Joshua still remembered that prayer and felt as if something powerful happened inside of him and afterward he asked Jesus into his heart. Joshua’s testimony about the power of one man’s prayer over him ushered in a hunger for prayer in the group that Sunday morning. By the end of the teaching, men were asking the Holy Spirit to fill them up and replace addictions to drugs, alcohol, and sex. They asked the Holy Spirit to replace fear and anger with the love of the Father through Jesus.

This time heaven invaded a cold, sterile room and turned it into a holy place filled with the presence of the Father’s love. Both in Africa and in the States the gift of prayer is readily available. The Father gave of us the gift of prayer, which allows us to come to Him anytime and anywhere, and He promises to meet us with His faithful love.

Prayer is an incredible gift given to help us communicate with our Creator. Ever since I was young, prayer has been what carried me through life. About a year ago, I felt the Lord prompting me to write a devotional on prayer. The idea has now come to fruition with the devotional Climbing Prayer Mountain. This 40-Day Prayer Guide delves into the prayer lives of Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Peter and John. Each of these men climbed into the presence of Father in prayer and powerful transformation followed.

I’m praying that our Father uses Climbing Prayer Mountain to help individuals, small groups, and churches encounter the Father’s life-transforming love through the gift of prayer. Please visit http://climbingprayermountain.com/ for more information on the book and how you can obtain a copy.