Ministries Collide. – The Fruit of Mutual Pursuit

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Written by Mike Verkaik

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.       Matthew 7:7-8

During our ride to Oceans Ministries kids activities at the Wooden Shoe last week, I asked Albert, “When was it that you first recognized your need for Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? He replied.  “Remember that night at the motel when my family was in crisis? It was that night in the middle of a difficult situation.  I did not know where else to turn and there was a deep desire to let go and surrender all of it over to Him. In that moment I sensed peace. Now, I don’t know how people get through hard stuff without Jesus.”

Indeed, during that night of desperation,  and the unveiling of deep family wounds revealed the beautiful paradox of our Father’s love. God used one of Albert’s most vulnerable moments in His pursuit of a deep relationship with His son, while Albert’s response was a new and renewed faith that caused him to seek more of his Father’s presence in his life.

Through this mutual pursuit of a deeper relationship Albert began to discover HIs Father’s love and grace to transform the pain into a deeper intimacy with Him. As Albert kept knocking on the door of understanding and knowing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God opened His doors wide for Albert to taste and see firsthand the goodness of his Lord in South Africa.

First and foremost, the door of salvation:

On June 14 in False Bay Albert publicly professed his love for and faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized in front of the entire team. As he emerged from the water, the chorus of “Son of the King!” echoed in unison and celebrated his new identity and the transformative power of salvation.

 

The door of gratitude:

One of Albert’s favorite songs from the trip is Gratitude by Brandon Lake. His take aways each night showed a heart that was shifting focus away from what he didn’t have to being grateful for the things he had.  As Albert said, “ Seeing the people of Jim Se Bos, how difficult their lives are, but how joyful they live and worship made me realize how much I have to be thankful for.  They understand how merciful, loving and forgiving Jesus is to them, and that is enough.

The door of testimonies:

Albert resinated with many of the testimonies we listened to throughout the week. “Hearing how people came to know the Lord in tough spots, I related to that. But now I look at their lives and they are singularly focused on praising and serving Him. How their lives changed as they gave their lives to God. They have contagious joy and excitement for praising the Lord and the commitment to serve the communities.  It is inspiring to see how God has used them to care for the children, and to spread the gospel of Jesus.”

The door of revelation – the amazing love of His Abba Father:

During a conversation after South Africa, I asked Albert, “What did you learn about God on this trip.”  His response revealed a profound understanding of God’s unwavering love and forgiveness, “God really does care for me, even when I let him down, He is still loving and forgiving. He calls me to be available, but he is the one that changes people’s lives.”

The door of service and calling:

While dwelling and praying on the mountain Albert felt the Spirit’s nudge of compassion, asking him to pray over his teacher at Ocean View. The day before she had shared some of her story and testimony with him, now he felt the Spirit saying, “bless her with the new found covering you have found”.

God continued to inspire and reveal His plan for Albert’s new faith, trust and voice as he sought Him in the vineyard. “When I get back”, He said, ”I feel God saying I need to let my boss know I need to adjust my schedule to have Tuesday’s off. I feel I need to be available as a mentor to the other kids at the Wooden Shoe during Ocean’s kids activities. I would also need to share my testimony at the next Bible Club. (Which is happening the day this blog comes out)”

I hope you have been blessed by our Father’s story woven through the life of this young man.  My prayer is that it may revitalize or enhance your pursuit of God’s initiating love for yourself and those placed in your circle of influence. May the Holy Spirit lead and encourage you to keep loving, keep knocking, keep asking, and keep seeking.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Ministries Collide –   Seeking God’s Kingdom through the eyes of a 15 year old boy

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Part 1 of 2 blogs written by Mike Verkaik

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matthew 6:33)

Below is a young man’s story who has exemplified for me Matthew 6:33. His journey has been a demonstration of an unwavering focus on seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness above all his earthly pursuits.  May it inspire and remind us again that true devotion involves not just desiring to be an active participant in God’s kingdom but actively pursuing it through faith, sacrifice, and love.

Albert is fifteen and for the last two years has lived in a motel room with his mom, and two older sisters. In his young life he has seen and experienced more of the hardships of our broken world than many other adults will encounter in their life time. Yet, as I witnessed his response to these experiences and painful events, they did not draw him in, but began to cultivate a resilient, deep desire to understand and experience his Father’s love and identity through Jesus.

Car rides to and from work and events provided opportunities for meaningful conversations about God and cultivating a personal relationship with Him. These shared discussions revealed his deep desire, pursuit and curiosity to know and understand more the depth of His Father’s love for him and the relationship God was pursuing with him.

About six weeks before this past Kingdom Encounter to South Africa, Albert unexpectedly asked me, “ Mike, can I go to South Africa with you?” My initial thoughts were that it would be wonderful, but do you know all the obstacles in your way, given your limited resources, and what makes a 15 year old boy think he can go to South Africa?”

As we discussed the list of hurdles and challenges he would encounter to have the possibility to join the team, nothing discouraged him. So I asked him,  “Why do you want to go, Albert?”His response confirmed my desire to help and showed his desire for a deeper relationship with God. “I receive a lot of help from others, I would like to serve others instead, and after hearing about the trip, I would like to grow more in my relationship with Jesus.” In response, I turned the car off the familiar path home and said, “Okay Albert, let’s cross off the first hurdle, you will need to get a passport picture, it’s on me.”

That conversation began the amazing story of a young man’s persistent pursuit of desiring more of God’s kingdom and his righteousness.  The path he traveled was turbulent as he needed approval from the school to take exams early,  and a birth certificate confiscated by the storage facility, due to missed payments, needed to be reissued from his birth city 150 miles away. Then his mom would need documentation of full custody that was also lost in the box confiscated by the storage company, and lastly, apply for a expedited passport, which would hopefully arrive in time.

His Burger King pay check could have covered the cost of his passport, however, there were other obligations. It was his week to purchase gas in the family car. Also his special need’s sister, a high school senior, desired to attend her first prom, so Albert felt led to purchase the dress. No problem, no complaints from Albert, he’d just settle in two weeks. “Mike”, he said, “ I think if I give my next two pay checks I will have another $400 to give. If people support me more than I need, is there someone else who might still need assistance?”

Albert’s actions and statements were organically revealing his compassionate and trusting heart. From the sideline it seemed only through naivety he resisted discouragement and setback, but the truth is in his pursuit of this Kingdom Encounter, he attacked each hurdle with prayer, determination and a belief that as he sought the kingdom, all these things would be given to him as well (vs. 33b), and God did.

What are you currently running after? I found this list in my notes a while back. It is a good benchmark to keep me running in the right direction, and I hope it is for you as well. Thank you Albert for showing me what an active participant in God’s kingdom looks like.

Keys to seeking first His Kingdom:

  1. Develop a heart for God and His holiness…
  2. Obey His commands and precepts out of reverence, not obligation. …
  3. Put His interests above your own. …
  4. Devote yourself to prayer, His Word, fellowship and proclaiming the gospel. …
  5. Wait upon the LORD in faith, trust and humility.

Oceans Kingdom Encounter

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Mike Verkaik does a great job leading the Kingdom Encounters here on Oceans’ Campus. This team included 3 boys and 7 girls along with leaders Kelsey and Greg. It is a blessing to see each one impacted by serving, being surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, and growing in their faith by experiencing other cultures.

A few students share their thoughts on their time here:

Church in Masiphumelele

Our first Sunday in Africa, as expected was a much different service than back home. The drive there we were all quiet as we took everything in. We drove down a very different part of town with people all over the roads, and with little markets and shacks made from whatever people could find. We parked the van and entered into a small white building where the church was held.There was music on full volume and people dancing up and down the aisles.  The service was around 3 hours long filled with singing, dancing, testimonies, and preachings.

Oceanview CareCentre

Today we woke up and had breakfast before heading off to the care center. For those who don’t know, Oceanview Care Center is a place where the kids can come to get away from their unique family situations. There we met Johann who told us a little about the Care Center, how it runs, and some of the stuff that they have gone through. After talking with Johann, we were assigned to classrooms. The classrooms are metal shipping containers with plastic chairs and tables in them. Throughout our day there, we were able to love on the kids and we were shown back a huge amount of love from them! You wouldn’t see many kids come running at a stranger in Michigan, but these kids sure did. I even got a kiss on my hand.

Prayer Meeting In Fish Hoek

After dinner we headed to a praise and prayer service at Overflow Church. This service began with worship music that was familiar to us.Then Pastor Ryan called our team up to be prayed over, but it was different than you would expect because he asked the congregation to pray to themselves to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in what God was saying to them about us. After they were done praying, Pastor Ryan asked if anyone had something that the Holy Spirit was leading them to share with us, and many people from the congregation said many different things to several of us, which was very powerful.

Township of Jim Se Bos

Today we met Pastor Raymond and he shared how he started Love in Action ministry. In the township of Jim Se Bos I experienced so much. I saw all the joy these kids had and how happy they were even though they don’t  have much. It was hard to see the conditions they lived in with garbage everywhere, bathrooms consisting of buckets with maybe a little door hiding them. The kids were running around by themselves, and the buildings were not built of much. But it was also amazing to be at a this safe place where kids could come twice a day to get food and the love of Jesus and attend church on Sundays. I was glad we could provide, prepare and serve a meal to the people in this community.

Later in the evening during our “family time” where we share our “highs and lows” of the day our team reflected on what might happen if Pastor Raymond is unable to keep going into Jim Se Bos. It’s a daunting thought, because he brings THE LIght, and is the up-bringer of the next generation, truly a Kingdom Builder.  But then we were reminded that Pastor Raymond has a team who stands with him and is making  “disciples” who follow his every move and love the LORD with the same passion. Together they speak hope and change lives by their love in action. They feed the community and are celebrities for Jesus because of their generosity and genuine care.

Table Mountain

Over the last couple of days, we’ve seen and experienced a multitude of blessings and adversity. We have explored God’s wonderful creation through hiking Table Mountain, beautiful people, a vineyard, animals, and community.

Table Mountain was a grueling hike filled with many pauses and water breaks. As I reflected on the top, I realized that this was similar to the path that we find ourselves on in life. God puts us through challenges, and at the moment, it feels like your world might literally be ending. However, once we all made it to the top, we marveled in the glory that filled our sights over the Cape Town area. God has a plan for us and puts us through difficult things in order to get us to the view at the top. But after that, we headed back down on the gondola and entered back down to “regular life”. But the difficulties didn’t stop there. All of us carry baggage that is individual to each of us, and we were able to share that with one another.

Oceans Retreat Center

Our last night at ORC we took time to open our hearts to one another and share our “takeaways”, which is what we will take away from our time here and what we will bring back home with us. The theme of the night was thankfulness for the many many blessings that our Father has given to us. Experiencing and witnessing what life can be like here in South Africa was heartbreaking and inspiring. I can speak for everyone when I say that we are more grateful people because of the works done in us. We ended the night by taking Communion, which represented our bond as believers and resembled the early church after the Holy Spirit was given to them. Our mission is to share and proclaim the GOOD NEWS that we saw and heard here and to be changed by the grace of God.

Oceans Kingdom Encounter

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Mike Verkaik does a great job leading the Kingdom Encounters here on Oceans’ Campus. This team included 3 boys and 7 girls along with leaders Kelsey and Greg. It is a blessing to see each one impacted by serving, being surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, and growing in their faith by experiencing other cultures.

A few students share their thoughts on their time here thus far:

Church in Masiphumelele

Today was our first Sunday in Africa, and as expected it was a much different service than back home. The drive there we were all quiet as we took everything in. We drove down a very different part of town with people all over the roads, and with little markets and shacks made from whatever people could find. We parked the van and entered into a small white building where the church was held.There was music on full volume and people dancing up and down the aisles. The service was around 3 hours long filled with singing, dancing, testimonies, and preachings.

Oceanview CareCentre

 

On Monday we woke up and had breakfast before heading off to the care center. For those who don’t know, Oceanview Care Center is a place where the kids can come to get away from their unique family situations. There we met Johann who told us a little about the Care Center, how it runs, and some of the stuff that they have gone through. After talking with Johann, we were assigned to classrooms. The classrooms are metal shipping containers with plastic chairs and tables in them. Throughout our day there, we were able to love on the kids and we were shown back a huge amount of love from them! You wouldn’t see many kids come running at a stranger in Michigan, but these kids sure did. I even got a kiss on my hand.

 

Prayer Meeting In Fish Hoek

After dinner we headed to a praise and prayer service at Overflow Church. This service began with worship music that was familiar to us. Then Pastor Ryan called our team up to be prayed over, but it was different than you would expect because he asked the congregation to pray to themselves to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in what God was saying to them about us. After they were done praying, Pastor Ryan asked if anyone had something that the Holy Spirit was leading them to share with us, and many people from the congregation said many different things to several of us, which was very powerful.

Township of Jim Se Bos

Today we met Pastor Raymond and he shared how he started Love in Action ministry. In the township of Jim Se Bos I experienced so much. I saw all the joy these kids had and how happy they were even though they don’t have much. It was hard to see the conditions they lived in with garbage everywhere, bathrooms consisting of buckets with maybe a little door hiding them. The kids were running around by themselves, and the buildings were not built of much. But it was also amazing to be at a this safe place where kids could come twice a day to get food and the love of Jesus and attend church on  Sundays. I was glad we could provide, prepare and serve a meal to the people in this community.

Later in the evening during our “family time” where we share our “highs and lows” of the day our team reflected on what might happen if Pastor Raymond is unable to keep going into Jim Se Bos. It’s a daunting thought, because he brings THE LIght, and is the up-bringer of the next generation, truly a Kingdom Builder. But then we were reminded that Pastor Raymond has a team who stands with him and is making “disciples” who follow his every move and love the LORD with the same passion. Together they speak hope and change lives by their love in action. They feed the community and are celebrities for Jesus because of their generosity and genuine care.

Why I desperately need the Holy Spirit

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I hope you had a great Pentecost Sunday! When I was pastoring a church this Sunday was one of my favorite. I would make sure to be around for that Sunday to preach on the coming of the Holy Spirit from Acts 2 to share about how a group of weak followers of Jesus waited in prayer. Waited until they were anointed and filled to overflowing with the Fire of Heaven to represent His temple-which would fill all the earth with His glory.

I first realized the importance of the Holy Spirit when I was in my final semester of seminary. It was a cold rainy January in Southern California. I was in our apartment on a Monday morning trying to study but looking out the window thinking about how I wanted to quit school and give up on the calling into ministry. My head and been saturated with so much knowledge but my heart was a spiritual wasteland.

The next thing I remember I was kneeling by my bed soaking the cover with tears. My heart felt on fire as a weighty presence filled the room. I was never more aware of my sins and my brokenness and yet at the same time an overwhelming sense of love- love that washed away a boat load of sins and filled me with “a joy unspeakable and full of glory,” 1 Peter 1:8.

I spent the rest of the day in a sense of awe and praise for the gift which had been given so unexpectedly. I didn’t fully comprehend what had happened as nothing like this has been taught in our Theology classes so I kept this experience to myself. Then 2 weeks later a professors called out of the blue and asked if I would come to his house for lunch.

It was during that lunch I got up the nerve to share what had happened on that rainy day. He got up went to his office and came back with a book by Martyn Lloyd-Jones called “Joy Unspeakable – Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit.” It would be a life changing conversation and read which would impact me for the rest of my life.

Both the encounter and the conversation taught me my absolute need to daily depend on the the power of the Holy Spirit for everything in life and in ministry. The Holy Spirit showed me the depths of my sin and weakness. It didn’t matter how well trained I was or how many gifts I had, I had nothing to offer anyone in and of myself. Yet, out of my weakness, out of my brokenness HIS LOVE could pour through revealing waves of His amazing grace.

I went from a “know-it-all seminary student” to an”infant” who needed constant care just to survive. That is why I love Pentecost so much. It reminds me of my absolute need to depend upon the Holy Spirit moment by moment.  My flesh is so weak. The powers of this world so strong. Without a daily filling of the Holy Spirit I simply won’t make.

I encourage you to read Acts 2 again in case you missed it on Sunday. The Father took a bunch of sinful and broken men and women and filled them with His presence and brought in a New Kingdom that is unstoppable. These followers of Jesus knew they leaked and so you see them again and again in the book of Acts asking for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

I have learned over the years I leak a lot and I desperately need to be refilled over and over again by the Gift of the Father (Luke 11:9-13).

“Be filled continually with the Holy Spirit and your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-19.