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Reflecting on 40 Day Prayer Challenge with Ray Spykstra

I had the privilege of interviewing my dad, Ray Spykstra for this podcast. Listen in as he shares some amazing stories from his experience of reading and giving away over a 100 “Draw the Circle – The 40-Day Prayer Challenge,” books by Mark Batterson.

One of the stories he shares in the podcast is about a man named John Bandimere, one of the owners of Bandimere Speedway in Colorado. Right after our podcast my dad received a letter from John telling my dad that all 7 of his siblings started the “Prayer Challenge.”

I hope you will be blessed by listening to this Podcast and hearing how the Holy Spirit is moving through the prayers of His people.

Reflecting on 40 Day Prayer Challenge with Brandie Muncaster

I had the blessing of interviewing Brandie Muncaster for this podcast. Brandie shares about her faith journey and how God used the “40 Day Prayer Challenge” to impact her and a group of other ladies in North Carolina.

An Open Door – “Little Strength”

During my recent trip to Africa I was invited to preach at the Christian Revival Church in Lesotho. Sharing God’s word is one of my favorite things to do and I was excited to share with these precious people all that the Father has been teaching me from the Revelation 3:8:

“See I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not have denied my name.”

I opened by sharing how a recent prayer service held on a rainy Saturday in the Los Angles Coliseum attracted thousands of people to gather together to pray for Revival in America. My family and I watched he live-streamed worship, prayers and speakers. Daniel Kolenda, an evangelist and a part of a ministry called Christ for the Nations was one of the keynote speakers. Daniel presented a powerful gospel message and many responded to the call to receive Christ. It was amazing!

The ironic thing about the keynote speaker Daniel Kolenda is that he was discipled by a German evangelist named Reinhard Bonnke, who birthed Christ for the Nations in Lesotho Africa in 1974. Reinhard worked diligently to share the gospel to the people in Lesotho but it was a tough go. At times he struggled with it all, yet in the midst of a difficult season the Lord gave him a reoccurring dream with the words, “Africa will be saved.” As Reinhard pondered the dream and the message he wrestled with how this could unfold as he knew first hand how difficult evangelism seemed to be in this small and relatively unknown country of Lesotho.

Yet, God brought Reinhard Bonnke to the passage from Zech. 4:6, “Not by might nor by power but by the Spirit says the LORD Almighty.” Reinhard began to pray into the dream and the passage knowing he had “little strength.” One Sunday when a special speaker from South Africa was a no-show Bonnke was the one to fill in. This Sunday when he had nothing prepared, and was filled with weakness and fear, this is when the Holy Spirit showed up and many people were saved and healed. This day was the day of the Open Door and because of that day Christ for the Nations was launched. This Sunday a door opened and from it birthed the first fruit of literally millions of people being saved over the enormous continent of Africa.

Out of weakness, in one of the smallest countries in the world, a door was opened by the power of the Holy Spirit to start a fire that would spread over all of Africa then jump the Atlantic Ocean and journey to LA Coliseum where I watched in my living room a young man preach the gospel with passion and power that led many to King Jesus. As I shared this story with the good people of the CRC church there were claps and cheers as they know are a congregation of “little strength” due to poverty, the pandemic of HIV Aids, and a corrupt and unjust political environment.

When “little strength” people surrender to King Jesus in the midst of the impossible, “Guess what?” Sails are raised to catch the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. If you have “little strength” take heart! This is the heart condition that Almighty God loves to use in order to Open Doors for His Kingdom to invade your life with the life giving power of His Holy Spirit! Get Ready!

An Open Door – Obedience

0026622321680 is a telephone number. Yes an odd looking number if you are living in the United States but a life changing number that altered the course of my life and many others. As I write this blog I’m viewing the beautiful baby blue ocean. I am inspired and in awe to be spending some time with a dear brother and sister who call South Africa home. This past week of preaching, ministry appointments and planning for three high school teams from the States to come out in June would not have happened without this crazy looking number.

A few days ago I was walking around the grounds of Beautiful Gate Care Center and was again overcome by God’s Kingdom breaking forth into the world through the staff and precious children who were once abandoned but are now thriving. I praise God for that phone number and how it ultimately has been the link to every trip to Lesotho. I often wonder what my life would have been like if that number was not given to us by John Boyd, a former Mission Aviation pilot in Lesotho. Back in 2002 John had just moved to Redlands, California and was the new president of Mission Aviation Fellowship and I was pastoring at a church nearby when our paths intersected. Somehow he heard that two pastors from The River would be in Lesotho on a World Vision Trip and he shared about a new care center called Beautiful Gate.

The mind-boggling thing is that number would never have been called if everything “went as planned” on our trip. But because the van to pick us up from the hotel was running two hours behind my stepdad Pastor Bill Bierling called the 13 digit number and the rest is history as we were introduced to Ray and Sue Haakonsen the directors of this new ministry.

As I type these words from Ray Haakonsen’s office and reflect on the past 13 years I am beyond blessed seeing small and big acts of obedience by John, Bill, Ray and Sue, and many others have led to the Father’s Kingdom breaking into my heart and the hearts of countless others. Little did John Boyd know when he was nudged by the Spirit to take the time to write down the 13 numbers and deliver them to us, that this small act of obedience would cause a ripple effect that continues to exponentially multiply.

I’d like to challenge you to listen to the nudge of the Spirit one small act of obedience may change a life and cause an unstoppable kingdom movement! So write the email to a friend who needs encouragement, send a donation to a student going on a mission trip, pray for that hurting person God has placed on your mind, share the story of what God is doing in your life with someone God brings your way and who knows the fruit that will come from your simple act of obedience.

“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him,” John 14:23.

 

An Open Door – Walking Through – Danny Unterkofler Interview

I had the blessing of interviewing Danny Unterkofler a few weeks ago for this podcast. Danny and his wife Kaylyn are an anointed ministry team that have recently walked by faith through an Open Door. In this podcast Danny shares his journey and how God has showed Himself more than faithful.

Also when you receive this email I will be in Lesotho Africa preaching and planning for some exciting future ministry that is opening up for us in this beautiful country. Please keep Oceans in prayer as we seek to make the Love of the Father Known around the world.