Have you ever heard of a guy named Obed-Edom? Chances are he is not in your top 10 list of Bible hero’s. Yet I believe his simple and blessed life is a model for us to follow in the days we are living in. Please check out the short video below.
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Written by Mike Verkaik, Oceans Director of Missions & Outreach
About two weeks ago I had a wonderful visit with Jenna* at the motel. Jenna is 13 years old and loves Jesus. If I bring my speaker to play worship songs during dinner, Jenna will sit close by, singing softly along as she takes it all in.
Jenna loves to worship and due to the pandemic and hurt feelings, she has missed congregating with others since June 7. As the dinner came to a close she said to me, “Pastor Mike, I miss worshiping on Sunday, my parents have not wanted to attend lately.“
Jenna’s passion for worship brought me to the words written in Psalm 84:1-2.
How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Last Sunday Jenna’s parents gave her permission to worship with us. Waiting in front of the motel to pick her up my wife, Dawn, saw some movement in the window curtain and her smiling face appeared. She entered our van with that same glowing face, saying, “ I woke up at 6am, I am so excited to go to church again.”
Driving away from the motel I had no idea what God was preparing to teach me through Jenna. This past week my wife, Dawn and I talked about our worship time with Jenna and wrote down five observations. I would like to share two of them with you.
First observation: Walking into the worship center that Sunday, I have to admit my disappointment when I realized the music was the piano and a couple of singers. My thoughts were, “Father, why is this the Sunday the worship band is not here. I want Jenna to experience the best our church has to offer.” As each song passed I quietly asked Jenna, “Do you know this song?” She shook her head no as she kept her eyes focused on the screen up front.
As Jenna and I talked after the service I began to apologize for the absence of the band and praise songs that she loves to sing. Before I could finish my explanation she spoke a dagger to my soul when she said, “ Pastor Mike it didn’t matter. It was just so good to be worshiping and I sang the words anyway!”
Second observation: Our children’s coordinator does a wonderful job of engaging kids with passion and creativity. As she came to the front she asked this question, “What do you do when you are scared, worried, or don’t know what tomorrow will bring? She went on saying, “When I am scared of the dark, I pull out my flashlight!!”
I am not sure if Jenna owns a flashlight or not, but after that statement she had a puzzled look on her face, and she leaned over and said, “Pastor Mike, when I am scared and worried, I pull out my Bible and begin to read it.” My heart melted as my face smiled, knowing Jenna had just speed dialed through all the examples and landed the main point before our coordinator did.
Oh the simplicity of worship. It is something God has had me grappling with for some time. Seeing Jenna’s heart for just being in His presence with His body is another in a series of examples God has given me of what authentic worship looks like. Worshiping in the townships of Africa, in the mountains of Colorado, and with a small body of people hungry for more of the Holy Spirit are all other examples of the body of believers moving away from being consumed by a product to being consumed by the beauty of God.
One thing I do know. This past Sunday I wanted Jenna to experience the best church our staff could offer. What she wanted was the best church our Father offers.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
Psalm 84:10
Yes, it is still winter in South Africa. Patty and I were able to get away for a few days and stay on a farm where the heater was a small wood burning fire place. My job was to keep the damp chill out from the rain by keeping the fire stocked and fueled. But as I got busy reading or watching the cows walk by I became lax and forgot about feeding the fire until the chill overtook the room. I looked back saw the fire was almost out and sprang to action quickly tossing in fresh fuel and hoping embers were hot enough to ignite a new flame.
To be honest, I loved every minute of it, and when the flame returned I felt a deep satisfaction and continually asked Patty what she thought of my fire. It also stoked a memory of a song we sang years ago called, Light the Fire Again, by Brian Doerksen. This powerful song comes directly from the mouth of Jesus spoken to the “lukewarm” church of Laodicea whose fire is about to be quenched (Rev. 3:14-22).
I found myself humming and singing the song again as I thought about how quickly the fire goes out if not attended to. How in so many ways the roaring fire of the Spirit is absent in our lives. How we have traded the comforts of culture for the all consuming fire of a Holy God. And yet in God’s amazing grace He is allowing this historic season we are in to cause us to feel the cold chill and the emptiness of our secular culture. The Spirit is seeking to awaken us to the reality that the fire is dwindling and the only One who can reignite the flame is the Sovereign Hand of our Savior.
I believe with all my heart that before Jesus returns there will be a revival fire that will consume the nations with His glory unlike anything before in history. He will light a fire in the hearts of those who are constantly seeking, calling out for Him with desperate prayers, and waiting with great anticipation for revival fires to fall on His Bride. This past weekend Father God reminded me not to give up but to continue to call out for Him to “light the fire again.”
Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again
You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again
I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again
Yes, it is still winter in South Africa. Patty and I were able to get away for a few days and stay on a farm where the heater was a small wood burning fire place. My job was to keep the damp chill out from the rain by keeping the fire stocked and fueled. But as I got busy reading or watching the cows walk by I became lax and forgot about feeding the fire until the chill overtook the room. I looked back saw the fire was almost out and sprang to action quickly tossing in fresh fuel and hoping embers were hot enough to ignite a new flame.
To be honest, I loved every minute of it, and when the flame returned I felt a deep satisfaction and continually asked Patty what she thought of my fire. It also stoked a memory of a song we sang years ago called, Light the Fire Again, by Brian Doerksen. This powerful song comes directly from the mouth of Jesus spoken to the “lukewarm” church of Laodicea whose fire is about to be quenched (Rev. 3:14-22).
I found myself humming and singing the song again as I thought about how quickly the fire goes out if not attended to. How in so many ways the roaring fire of the Spirit is absent in our lives. How we have traded the comforts of culture for the all consuming fire of a Holy God. And yet in God’s amazing grace He is allowing this historic season we are in to cause us to feel the cold chill and the emptiness of our secular culture. The Spirit is seeking to awaken us to the reality that the fire is dwindling and the only One who can reignite the flame is the Sovereign Hand of our Savior.
I believe with all my heart that before Jesus returns there will be a revival fire that will consume the nations with His glory unlike anything before in history. He will light a fire in the hearts of those who are constantly seeking, calling out for Him with desperate prayers, and waiting with great anticipation for revival fires to fall on His Bride. This past weekend Father God reminded me not to give up but to continue to call out for Him to “light the fire again.”
Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again
You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again
I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again
Written by Patty Spykstra
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…”
– Matthew 11:28
During these days of COVID and all the bombardment of social media we need this time of rest now more than ever. As a Pastor’s wife I vividly recall the wonderful days of ministry and sharing life with people who became family. Together we worshipped, prayed, served, rejoiced and carried one another’s burdens. Together we planned and reached out to those who did not know a good Father, the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. They are days I will always cherish.
As Oceans Retreat Center became a reality we knew we wanted to create a place for ministry leaders to rest and be healed. I will never forget the times when a cabin was offered in the mountains or on the beach. It was such a breath of fresh air, a time to experience peace and letting go of the cares of ministry, to let the arms of a loving Savior embrace my husband and our family.
So it was a JOY it was to offer Pastor Nevson the opportunity to stay in a flat/apartment for a quiet time of reflection, prayer, study and renewal. Pastor Nevson serves a congregation in the local township and lives in a shack with his wife and four boys. Pastor Nevson was most grateful for the rest and refreshment he encountered. Hopefully he can come back at another time with his family.
What a JOY it was to have Busi and her four boys stay at Oceans Retreat Center. It was particularly special as Busi’s mom is Thobeka, who lives and works on campus. Thobeka and daughter Sunny planned a hike up Elsie’s Peak complete with snacks to enjoy. They all loved jumping waves at the beach, playing in the sand, and sharing quality family. It was so fun to be able to join them for dinner one evening and hear the laughter. We wish Bulelani could have come as well; hopefully he enjoyed a few moments of rest in the midst meetings.
We would love to have YOU come to rest here at Oceans Retreat Center for a time of renewal, or if you can’t catch a flight, we pray you can experience the Father’s love and rest somewhere close by. I know I still need this time to leave the burdens of the day in His hands and receive His rest.
