Empty to Fill!

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God can speak in the most unusual ways to reveal His faithful love when we need it the most.

A few weeks ago while back in Colorado I was having a tough day. I just got off a two- hour phone conversation with a friend going through a horrific amount of pain. My heart was crushed.

I went downstairs to my office to attempt to prepare for the upcoming men’s retreat. As I sat there numb Patty hobbled into the room suffering from a freak fall a few days before, causing her intense back pain. As she gingerly sat in a chair across from me, we both felt burdened and didn’t know what else to do but pray.

Trying to lift “rocks” too heavy for us to carry on our own, all of a sudden a dam broke inside of me. I found myself on the carpet crying with uncontrollable tears, the kind of sobbing that makes your snot flow like a river. Sorry for being so descriptive, but seriously I haven’t cried like that in years.

In the midst of my episode Patty proclaimed ” ‘Empty to Fill’, Lord we need a fresh filling of your Holy Spirit as we have nothing left.” To be honest, I had no idea what she was talking about, I thought maybe her pain medicine was working a bit too well.   After we finished our time crying out to the Father, I asked her why she prayed those words, “Empty to Fill!”

She told me to come over where she was sitting and look at the wall. Sure enough you could make out coming through the paint the words “Empty to Fill!” She reminded me that 8 years ago our daughter Sarah painted those words on the drywall before we put the final coat of paint on. And somehow sitting at the right spot with the light on, the phrase was clearly revealed.

Our Sovereign God in His perfect timing knew exactly when we would need to read those words. I had just told Patty before we prayed I don’t think I can do the retreat, I have nothing more to give. After a busy season in Africa, an Israel trip, some spiritual warfare, Patty’s back injury, we were weak and tired.

The words on the wall reminded me of Paul’s inspired text from 2 Cor. 12:9 –

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I held on to those words as I finished preparing to lead the men’s retreat. I shared those words with the men and told them how weak I was and how I needed a fresh filling of the Spirit. How faithful the Father was to send His Spirit to weak vessels and to meet us all in our weakness so that Christ Jesus and the healing power of the Cross can be our only boast.

As we live in times of uncertainty and feel overwhelmed by the world around us, take heart in your weakness, your emptiness, knowing the One who desires to fill you daily with flowing fountains of His amazing grace!

“My grace is always more than enough for you, and My power finds its full expression through your weakness!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Psalms as Guide to Being Formed After God’s Own Heart

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Today’s post is provided by guest-blogger Henry Miersma, who recently attended the “Formed After the Father’s Own Heart” Retreat in Colorado.

 

During the last weekend of July 2023, I joined twenty-seven other men from across the Unites States at the Highlands Camp and Retreat Center in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Our group ranged in age from teenagers to men in their 80s, but we all came together to learn how to be Formed After the Father’s Own Heart. Tim Spykstra, our host and speaker, taught us not only what that phrase means, but through the use of several psalms he took us through the Biblical process itself.

Highlands Camp & Retreat Center sits in a beautiful valley about 25-minutes south of Estes Park, Colorado. The retreat center’s grounds featured rolling hills covered in pine trees, flowers and grasses in multiple shades of green. Deer and moose have been found roaming the grounds during early morning hours. Our meeting room featured floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows that provided a striking view of Long’s Peak, one of the 14,000 foot tall mountains nearby. In short, it was a beautiful place to spend a weekend.

As for the content of the retreat, pastor Tim drew our attention to the words of seven psalms across multiple session, and we used Psalms Journal: A 21-day Devotional Journal as a tool whereby we could journal our thoughts and responses to questions about them. We immersed ourselves in those psalms for the weekend.

As an example, on Friday night Tim gave us instructions in advance of our first Saturday morning session by asking us to turn our attention to Psalm 139, particularly verse 13: “You have formed my innermost being…”. He asked us to read the psalm and journal about it in Psalms Journal before the session started the next morning.

As we dug into the psalm ourselves–reading, meditating on the Word, and journaling our personal thoughts on what these passages meant to us–we could spend time listening to the Holy Spirit and responding to the the journal’s questions, which includes: What does this psalm say about who God is and what he has done? What does this psalm say about who you are or what you should do? How does this psalm connect with what is going on in your life right now? What can you do today in response to God?

 

This was the process we repeated throughout the weekend as we dug into the list of psalms and topics:

Formed – Psalm 139
Falling – Psalm 32/51
Forgiveness – Psalm 32
Focus – Psalm 27
Filled – Psalm 46
Fruit – Psalm 1

As you can imagine, the process was very powerful and meaningful. By first spending time as individuals studying and journaling the Psalms, then coming together to share how these scriptures apply to our lives, and finally praying together in response to these psalms and related discussions, we came to understand what it means to be formed after the father’s heart. We also gained a new appreciate for the power and truth found in the psalms.

For me, one of the highlights of the weekend happened after discussing the need for confession and forgiveness as found in Psalm 32. Tim taught us that this part of the process–humbling ourselves and recognizing our need for God and His forgiveness–is key, but it also the hardest thing for men to do who are taught from an early age to be “self-made men.” As we came together in one large circle, many men found the courage to confess specific sins and seek forgiveness, with the session ending with the entire group kneeling together on the floor, crying out to God for the forgiveness only He can provide.

Other highlights included catching-up with old friends, making new ones, spending time in His creation, playing horseshoes and smashball, singing hymns together, and hearing Tim speak powerfully with the spirit’s guidance. But it was God’s Word as found in the psalms that were the real highlight! We learned through the psalms that being formed after God’s own heart involves a process of humility, honesty, hope, healing and wholeness.

Seek and You will Find!

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Written by Mike Verkaik

A few weeks ago Dawn and I had a reunion with our latest high school South African team. While talking about our lasting impacts, the common highlights remained the children, and our times of worship.

Reflecting on our latest journey, this familiar text came to my mind, Jeremiah 29:11: 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This is a favorite verse of many Christians, a powerful promise and assurance that places our trust into our Father’s hands. However, I believe the core of that promise stems from Jeremiah 29:12-13:

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

In these verses God is calling His children to action, prayer, and a deep hunger to know and understand Him more. As we come into His presence with our hearts open, God promises He is listening and will respond to our deep desires. This was the posture of many of the students on this trip. Some desires were shared freely, while others were hidden deep within their souls.

The Holy Spirit ignited a fire in Trent while worshiping at a local church. He responded to an alter call to accept Jesus as His personal Savior.  After praying over him, he recalled how he did not want to come forward. However, as he stood in front of his seat the Spirit’s voice grew stronger and stronger inside telling him to come forward. As he resisted his whole body started to shake. He had to respond.

The next day, during a praise and prayer service at Overflow church, Pastor Ryan was led to move our team in a circle surrounded by around 60 prayer warriors of the church. While we sat together, he asked the others to pause in silence and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a word, a picture or vision for the students. Nervously sitting together the Holy Spirit began to use these open and beautiful spirits to reveal the students hearts, frustrations and new callings. Like the woman at the well, in John 4, Jesus was showing each of them that they were seen and loved by their Father.

Sofia was sitting to my left. A member of the congregation approached the group and said, “ I sense there is someone who came on this trip secretly longing for affirmation, acceptance from their Abba Father.” I began to hear sniffles. She continued, “You have a longing for a sign that you are loved and seen by Him.” Tears began to flow. “But you have not had that encounter and are disappointed and wondering why.” Now sobbing had begun as the deep longings of her heart were exposed. As she questioned how a stranger uncovered her deepest longings, she began to receive healing as she realized her secret pain had been seen and uncovered by the Holy Spirit.

Reminds me of the truth spoken in Proverbs 8:17:

I love those who love me, those who seek me find me. 

Amazing isn’t it how our Father, through seeking prayers, fills brothers and sisters with His Holy Spirit to meet us in our need and quest to know Him more. This is the power praying believers have, as they come together seeking God more, and interceding on behalf of each others spoken and unspoken heart desires.

Is your heart available to come, seek and pray?  God is longing for a deeper relationship with you to reveal the plans for hope and prosperity He has in-store.

Free to Dance!

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Blog written by Mike Verkaik

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Psalm 149: 3-5 (NIV)

Can you dance? Does it seem insignificant? Can Abba use dancing to usher in His kingdom, to bring joy to despair, healing to the broken hearted, to make His heart known?

About a month ago I had the privilege of leading a group of 9 high school students to Oceans Retreat Center for a kingdom encounter. Although we met together several times before we traveled, we still had much to learn about each other’s personalities, gifts, strengths, and insecurities as we boarded the long flight to South Africa.

It did not take long for Dawn and I to realize that this group of students were uninhibited and willing to jump right into the rhythms of different cultures we entered in to. Worship on Sunday was full of singing and dancing and the students joined right in with the church members, celebrating the freedom of South African worship.

However, as the week progressed our team began to realize that one of our team members, Isabella, could dance at a totally different level! We had witnessed her quiet spirit and insightful thoughts as we shared life together, but were awakened to her dance movements as we were preparing a meal for the residents of Jim Se Bos. The request was made for some Spanish music to play in the background. The music playing was an igniter to Isabella’s soul. As she began to move, Pamela, Pastor Raymond’s wife, was drawn into a dance off trying to mimic the movements of Isabella. The dancing brought joy, laughter and a few “Whoa’s”!

This gift of dancing, seemingly insignificant, was our Father’s planted seed germinating into His kingdom expansion. Watered with prayers and compassion Abba took this seed, along with the inhibition of the group, and provided more and more opportunities to worship in the freedom of dance. We sang, danced, and commemorated His goodness, faithfulness, and provision with the children and staff at the Care Center, in the streets of Masi, the food lines in Steenberg, and the classrooms in Jim Se Bos.

Only our creative Father could take the ability of dance He gave to His daughter, place it in the midst of other’s boldness and usher in His healing power of love, joy and peace to His broken children.

What is your seemingly small seed? Are you even aware of it? Even our awareness really doesn’t matter to our Creator. The Bible is full of the small things of man that are used to bring our Father glory. Five little stones slayed a giant, a staff split a sea, a handful of flour and a little oil fed a prophet, five barley loaves and two fish fed five- thousand…. and the list goes on.

So, do you think you can dance? It does not matter. Let go of all your inhibitions and move, your Father is waiting to watch and help you!

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

Finding Freedom in Forgiveness 

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Blog written by Oceans Board member Danell Czarnecki 
 
The other week I talked about father wounds; and if Father wounds are the source of the majority of our infections; then lack of forgiveness is our biggest source of captivity.
 
Unforgiveness is the most frequent block to our freedom; it binds us to the past and does not permit healing to flow freely; and will hinder or block the healing power of the Holy Spirit.  For one to experience inner healing in its fullness we must release the feelings of anger, bitterness, and judgement we have against others who have hurt us so that we can heal; and our mind, body and soul be restored. 
 
Forgiveness is a spiritual foundation; and is a choice, a decision; and since Scripture requires it; we can believe it is possible for us. We are called to be merciful (Lk 6:36) and forgive others.  Jesus tells Peter to forgive 70 – 7 times; I think Jesus meant we are to forgive limitless times because He knew it would be our captor if we did not. 
 
Forgiveness is not forgetting; forgiveness is coming to peace and living with the consequences of another person’s sin and brokenness. It’s often our willingness to forgive that is lacking; because we feel justified. I believe the “root” of unforgiveness has to do with a lack of trust in God.  We hold tightly to unforgiveness because we feel like we are the only one who is concerned about justice coming to the person who wronged us. It’s important to know that forgiveness of our offender does not take the person off God’s “list”.  God is just!  On the contrary, forgiveness sets us free; God promises to take care of those who offend His chosen. 
 
When we withhold forgiveness, we allow Satan to take advantage of our pain and keep us in bondage to our past hurts. Withholding forgiveness is like my drinking poison hoping it will impact the one who offended me.  Forgiving those who hurt us is for our wellbeing, we do not heal to forgive; we forgive to heal. 
 
I don’t think it was a coincidence that Jesus asked Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” Peter needed to be freed from the belief that his denial of Christ 3 times meant he did not love Jesus and was not fit to serve him.  Jesus, in a very tender way took Peter back to the past, He did not try to get Peter to deny or forget that horrible evening, rather Jesus gently healed the memory; what had been a gaping, open wound was turned into a healed scar.  And we all know what Peter, the rock, went on to do for the Kingdom.   
In inner healing we seek to forgive those who have wronged us, we seek to forgive ourselves and learn to love and appreciate the person that Christ has made in us; and we offer God our forgiveness for not trusting Him to hold and heal our hurts and redeem what the enemy meant for harm.  
 
Forgiveness breaks the binds that prevents us from growing and flourishing as God intended – the fullness in Christ the Bible says is ours to have. 
 
Maybe your earthly father, family member or friend failed you; offer forgiveness and know your Heavenly Father will never fail you, forsake you; leave you alone; or withhold His blessing. 
 
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save.  He takes great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, and He rejoices over you with singing.”