“The Homemaker”

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For quite some time now on Sunday mornings Mike and Dawn Verkaik and their team faithfully pick up children and teens from the Wooden Shoe Motel and bring them to Haven Church. After the worship service they loaded up the van and headed to a local fast food restaurant to treat them to lunch.

Recently they realized the environment was getting more difficult to have fellowship with the group and discuss what they learned from the truths taught that morning. They needed a quieter place, one inviting and warm that would help with honest conversation. Haven Church graciously opened up their doors to host the lunch and Mike described the change as transformative.

In a homey and safe atmosphere while “breaking bread” honest and healing conversation began taking place. The Holy Spirit moved in illumination and His love anointed hearts with loving encouragement. The Holy Spirit dwelling among us is such an incredible, indescribable gift.  Perhaps you can recall times in your own life when you could strongly feel His presence working like the gathering Mike shared.

In fact I would describe the Holy Spirit as a “Homemaker.” When I think of a homemaker, I picture someone who takes any sort of house and turn it into a home of love, security, warmth, encouragement, honesty, friendship. It is a place where an atmosphere of shalom resinates and for some reason you want to stay longer or return as soon as you can.

Jesus teaches His followers that it is best for Him to not be with them in flesh and blood. He says this because when He ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit would come to make the Father and Jesus a home in believers hearts:

“And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Savior (or advocate) the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like Me – and He will never leave you…And my Father will love you so deeply that We will come to you and make you Our dwelling place,” (PT John 14:16,17,23).

Patty and I got to personally experience the power of “The Homemaker” this past weekend. On Saturday Oceans hosted a retreat for a group called Virtuous Girls, a ministry to young women 13-18 years old, who have faced all sorts of storms in their young lives.

As we made the necessary plans for this day it seemed as if everything that could possibly break down at the Retreat Center did. Even the morning of the retreat our walk-in fridge, which was repaired just a few days ago, was a sauna. Can you say “Spiritual Warfare!” In addition, I have to admit I wasn’t feeling very spiritual.

But back to the retreat, after Patty and I shared with the young ladies the leader handed me a bottle of oil and asked us to anoint and pray over each of the girls. “The Homemaker’s” peace and presence brought tears of assurance and hugged many of these broken and fatherless girls with the arms of Abba Father.

After we finished praying over the last young lady, Samantha, the leader asked us to take a seat, it was now our turn to be anointed and prayed for. I can’t tell you how the words prayed over us and the Retreat Center brought a needed shalom to drive away fear, insecurity, and it’s rotten fruit of stress.

The Spirit is always at work-often behind the scenes-in order to reveal the Father and the Son constructing our hearts to be a spiritual home of transcendent love and peace. The lunch time gathering in Michigan and the prayer time here in South Africa both direct us to recognize the gift of having our hearts be the home of the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of a world of distractions and spiritual battles we are called to invite “The Homemaker” to do His powerful transforming work in our lives showing us the gift of the Father’s love in Jesus.

“But now you can ask, and keep on asking Him! And you can be sure that you’ll receive what you ask for, and your joy will have no limits! (John 16:24)

 

 

 

You need to fight for the family!

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In the congregation this past Sunday morning was a mother grieving the murder of her son due to gang violence. Another mom was heart broken because of the recent suicide of her son. And sitting right next to Patty and I was a young teenage girl who was miraculously just rescued from a sex trafficking ring about to send her to another country.

At the end of the service the pastor called all the children and young people to the front of the church. He asked the men in the church to gather around them, which there were only 5 including the pastor and myself. He asked me to pray healing over them from the pain they have experienced from fatherlessness in the home as well as sexual, verbal and physical abuse, which has traumatized many.

The situations and the circumstances that bring about such excruciating pain are varied and complex. Yet, at the bedrock of each one is a broken or nonexistent family. Divorce, spousal abuse, fatherlessness, children born out of marriage all contribute to extreme pain are represented not only in this township church but throughout the world.

Recently I read the book “How The West Really Lost God, a New Theory of Secularization,” by Mary Eberstadt. The main thesis of the book is that both family and faith work together as a “double helix of society, each dependent on the strength of the other for successful reproduction.”

It was an insightful read with much empirical evidence to show when the traditional family breaks apart so will faith and when faith is lost family will break apart to the detriment of culture. Faith and family work as a team for the blessing of culture. We can see this throughout the Biblical narrative as well. God made His covenant promises to families from Genesis to Revelation and blessings flow to families living by faith who become blessings to society (see Gen. 12:1-3, Acts 2:38-39).

On Sunday we were surrounded by the curse of the break down of the traditional family unit. Where was the father to stop the young teen girl from being lured into sex trafficking? Would the two boys be alive today if there had been an intact family unit founded on Biblical faith? So many unanswered questions to ponder.

Before I prayed over the children and teens that Sunday morning, the pastor took a moment to ask for forgiveness on behalf of their earthly fathers. He did not mince words as he spoke about neglect, abandonment, abuse, and not demonstrating a saving faith reflecting the love of Father God. The word of my prayer was an ardent plea that through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit and the gift of Jesus His Son a healing transformation would take place to break the curse through the Father’s love. A love seed planted into their hearts that one day would spring forth a new family tree bringing blessings to many generations to come.

All day our hearts ached for the pain inflected on so many we worshiped with earlier. Yet, we can’t help but praise God for the spiritual family we encountered Sunday. The many woman and few men are working tirelessly to reverse the curse and plant seeds for the next generation of families. Sunday reminded us of the battle over the family. How we need to fight on our knees and with our lives for a revival of the Biblical family. Yes, society will mock you for the fight and it may cost dearly, but history will record a family of faith in Christ is the greatest gift to a broken world.

“The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Geness 12:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Lose Your Awe!

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In a world so saturated with fear we need a fresh encounter with the awe and wonder of God. I asked Mike Verkaik to share what the Holy Spirit has been teaching Him concerning this most needed topic.

I have been blessed to meet with a college student weekly for the last two years. Part of our weekly commitment is to faithfully read, pray and dwell over two chapters from the Bible and share what the Holy Spirit reveals to us. Currently we are in the book of Jeremiah.

As I read the first two chapters God began to restore amazement and awe for who He is, and for being in relationship with Him. Listen to what the Lord is saying to us through His call of Jeremiah:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

After I read those words, I wrote the following, “ Oh, Abba, to live into the understanding and knowledge that before I was formed you actually knew me, you set me apart and appointed me for the calling you have on my life. You are too wonderful for me! Help me to understand and know You more and more. Give me a holy, non-ceasing awe of You!”

This was only reaffirmed for me when I read the words of David in Psalm 139. For the first time as I read his words I realized how David was modeling for me what it is like to be in complete awe of God. It is such a disservice to not write it all, but be amazed at these excerpts.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Where can I go from your Spirit? Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139: 1-2, 4, 7, 16

David is overwhelmed with God’s omnipotence, His sovereignty, and great love, and so am I. What an honor to be in relationship and dwell in the presence of God, to realize His holiness, His beauty. Daily, to delight in being alone with God, have a conversation with Him and be in His presence. Just us and Him. Yet, our tendency is for this holy, intimate relationship to become common, ordinary and lose its awe. Listen to what God says to Jeremiah as He begins to unpack His reasons for sending Israel into captivity;

“Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me.” Jeremiah 2:19

After this encounter in Jeremiah and Psalm 139, my heart has been grieving even more for the people I dwell with at the motel. Many of them have no awe of their creator. No time or interest to dwell with God or communicate with Him. But, before I throw the first stone, I’m convicted there are times I have the same struggles and temptations.

Living in awe of and in the presence of our triune God is something I need to daily fight for. It is a daily repentance. So many distractions lead me astray, as my mind can be so scattered with wandering thoughts, and lists of things I need to accomplish. I wander far away from praying without ceasing and can even have an inability to focus in my daily prayers.

What about you? I wonder if that is why David ends his words of awe in Psalm 139 with the following plea:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

David is inspired to have nothing separate him from the awe of being in relationship with his Father. It is our daily battle as well, one of repentance, grace, and prayer. Join me in praying for a daily-renewed knowledge and understand of our awesome God.

Finding Your Mind in a World that’s losing it!

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I was getting ready to upload my blog on Monday morning knowing I had a busy day ahead. “Where is it, I cannot believe it of all days…!” After several minutes of frantically searching for a blog I wrote ahead of time-I had to admit defeat-it had vanished in cyber space. Indeed,  I had “lost the plot” and any peace I had encountered from my morning quiet time.

For some reason God often speaks to me in the shower. And as I was cooling off He quietly reminded me about the source of my anger, control. I had my day all planned out and writing a blog was not on the rather long list.

The whisper of the Spirit reminded me of the bizarre story of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Who one day was looking over the roof of his palace and stated:

“Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor,” (Daniel 4:30).

As the prideful words poured out of his mouth, he literally lost his mind and was driven out of the kingdom to live like a wild beast in the field. He would be in this condition until he acknowledged he was not in control:

“Until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone He chooses…” (vs. 32).

God continues to give me lessons in Africa about who is really in control. And I can’t help but think He is doing this all over the world. For 2 years governments have tried to control a virus with little success and as a result anger abounds. We have had one natural disaster after another, which preaches loud and clear about how helpless we really are.

The longer we try to play god the crazier we are going to get. And as Paul said when we worship anyone or thing besides God eventually our minds will become “dark and confused,” (Romans 1:21). I think this verse speaks a powerful truth to what we are experiencing today.

Our minds were made to Worship only one King. Read Daniel 4, the moment Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven and began to worship the “Most High” his “sanity” returned and he was restored back to his kingdom (vs. 34ff.).

It was a longer shower than usual but I had to be reminded of the One in control. And just maybe I needed to write a new blog to redirect my mind to Worship Him even when things don’t go as I have planned.

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom…Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All His acts are just and true, and He is able to humble the proud.” (Daniel 4:36-37).

 

 

 

 

 

A Most Needed Prayer for Today!

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“What will heaven be like the moment you arrive?” I asked that question this past Sunday at a church I was speaking at. Here are a few of the answers:

“Pure joy.” “I won’t want to go back.” “No home work.” “No demons.” “A big hug by Jesus that won’t let go.” “Joyful worship and celebration.” “ A radiant glowing city without sin.” “No more tears, no more sickness.” “Freedom.” “Pure light without any darkness.”

We summed it all up with one word, “LOVE!” Heaven is a world of pure love that goes beyond our wildest imagination.

I then asked them to describe hell. And most of their responses were the exact opposite of the list above. We summed it up in one word, “LOVELESS!” A world void of love which no one on earth has ever fully experienced. Even the worst sinner or the loneliest person on earth experiences the Father’s love through common means of grace such as creation.

My greatest need and I will be so bold and state that your greatest need today is Heaven’s Love . Our aching world striving to find healing for the emptiness in its soul through power, control, every form of sensual pleasure, and even striving religious activity will never be healed until Heaven’s Love is found.

For the church, the body of Christ to make its biggest impact in a lonely, loveless world we need to overflow with a supernatural love. The Apostle Paul knew this and right in the middle of his letter to the church in Ephesus he prays this most powerful prayer-for love to fill the children of the Father. I have felt called to pray this prayer over my heart, my family and His church every day in 2022. Perhaps the Spirit will lead you to join in praying this most needed prayer as well:

“So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that He would unveil within you the unlimited riches of His glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with His divine might and explosive power.

Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life.

Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences – the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far – reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding – this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and to accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power constantly energizes you. 

Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ – and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen! (Ephesian 3:14-21 PT)