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5 Reasons Why You Should Do a YWAM DTS

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“So why did you do a Discipleship Training School?”

Having done my Discipleship Training School about four years ago and now being on DTS Staff, this is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. You could ask ten people this same question and you would probably end up getting ten different answers. Some people have grown up wanting to be missionaries, some came because their parents encouraged them to, and some because they didn’t know what else to do. For me, it was simple…

I was lost in my faith. I knew there was more and I wanted it. I needed it.

I grew up in a loving Christian home where my family had always been involved with church in some way or another. My oldest sister had done a DTS after she graduated high school and then joined staff; so I was pretty familiar with the concept of DTS. During my sophomore year of high school everyone was so concerned about their GPA and their extra curricular activities. They were doing everything right so that they would qualify for the right scholarships to get into the best colleges, while I was still thinking, “I have absolutely no clue what I should go to college for, so why would I go and waste my time on a degree I don’t even know if I can use, or that I even want?” I enjoyed school, I just wasn’t sure of the direction I wanted my life to take. Around that same time, the youth group at my church fell apart and the youth pastor ended up leaving. That was when I realized my faith was in serious trouble. I had allowed myself to be spoon fed without developing my own relationship with God. I knew He was there and that He loved me, but my faith wasn’t my own.

Missions had always been something that interested me and I wanted my own relationship with God. I knew DTS was a great program where I would be submerged in a community where we would all be going after God’s heart together, which was what I wanted.

I hope that through sharing some of my experiences I’ll be able to communicate a little bit of what I’ve learned during my time with DTS. Here are the five reasons why I think you should do a Discipleship Training School.

#1 To Know God

Wherever you are in your walk with God, whether you just submitted your life to him, or you have been following for a while. . . there is so much more to learn about God. He is just so vastly outside of our comprehensible limits. However, He has made Himself available to us. He wants to be known. He wants to be known by you. In DTS, we learn about topics like The Father Heart of God and Hearing God’s Voice (and many more). By understanding more of His character and hearing Him speak to us, we can eliminate the lie that He is a distant and cold God. In reality, He is loving and inviting and is trying to communicate with you this very second. He desires relationship with you and is waiting for you to take a step closer.

THERE IS A GOD WHO LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN COMPREHEND

This might surprise you, but most students that come to DTS do not believe that God loves them. They know He does in their head (many of us are quite familiar with the Sunday School tune “Jesus Loves Me”), but they don’t believe it in their hearts. Honestly, who can blame them? It doesn’t make sense. I think to myself, “Why would the Creator of the universe love me? I am flawed, broken, and more sinful than I care to admit. What about me is worthy of being loved at all, especially by the King of all Kings?” I think the more we understand the gift that Jesus was, and the love that motivated that kind of sacrifice, the more we are changed. We are completely undone because that kind of love that is so undeserved, yet so freely given. If you have no idea what I am talking about, please, please come do a DTS. There is a God who loves you more than you can comprehend and He is just bursting with excitement to be able to shower that love upon you.

#2 To Know Yourself

It says in Genesis that we are made in the image of God (1:27). Therefore, by knowing more of who God is and how we bear His image we will ultimately learn more about ourselves. In my DTS, one of the biggest things God spoke over me was my identity. By looking into God’s Word, He revealed so much to me about who I am and who He created me to be. By learning to hear and recognize His voice, He taught me who I was as an individual and how He uniquely designed me. I found out who He said I am instead of what society and culture were trying to make me out to be. I am to be set apart, and so are you.

I love this verse as it is written in The Message.

1 Peter 2:9 (MSG) “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”

God has so much more in store for you and your life. Are you willing to give Him the chance to reveal that to you?

#3 To Make God Known

We are all called to make God known, wherever we are. In Matthew, the last words of Jesus before He ascends to heaven are:

“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 MSG

This is the charge the Jesus leaves with his disciples. The word “disciple” translates to mean “a follower”. I believe if we consider ourselves followers of the Lord Jesus Christ then this verse applies to us. We are called to be disciples and we are called to disciple others.

These first three reasons to do a DTS are connected. How can we make Him known if we don’t even know Him? How can we understand ourselves and our purpose if we do not understand our Creator? We are called to know Him in such a way that the outpouring of our relationship with God spills out to every area of our lives, making it impossible to keep it to ourselves. That is how transforming the love of Christ is.

WHILE ON OUTREACH YOU’LL GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT OVERSEAS MISSIONS LOOKS LIKE

During your Discipleship Training School you’ll be given the opportunity to Make God Known by visiting a foreign country and sharing His love with people who have maybe never even heard the name of Jesus. The Gospel is for everyone. What an amazing privilege – to be able to introduce Jesus to someone for the very first time. While on outreach you’ll get a glimpse of what overseas missions looks like, and you will have the opportunity to use your gifts and abilities for the Kingdom of Heaven.

#4 Because He is Worthy. He is the Redeemer.

I have this picture of what it will be like to stand before God on Judgement Day. I am standing there, knowing I deserve hell, having accepted my sin and my humanity, knowing that my best efforts just weren’t enough to deserve eternity…  and then Jesus walks in. He comes to stand right in front of me and shows the Father His hands where His scars remain. These scars that say I am clean, that my slate has been washed by the blood of Christ, that I bear my sin and shame no more. As Jesus stands in my place on that Day, I am ushered to the gates of Heaven where the most amazing Holy Spirit party is taking place because of the reality of what Jesus did for us the day He took up our cross.

DTS ISN’T THE CLIMAX OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BUT RATHER THE BEGINNING OF A LIFE FULLY COMMITTED TO HIM

Because of this, He is worthy. He is worth taking five months to fully devote yourself to Him. We don’t want your DTS experience to be the climax of your relationship with God but rather the beginning of a life fully committed to Him. He is the Savior and He is the one who comes to redeem your story. No matter what kind of story you might have, no matter what you have done, you cannot out-sin His forgiveness. He is worthy, and redemption is yours for the taking.

#5 Why Not?

Take a minute to ask yourself “Why not do a DTS?” – I understand that we all have our own obligations, ambitions, hopes, and dreams to consider. I have been there, I know! Sometimes we need to give God the opportunity to be faithful in our lives. God is steadfastly faithful, but when we try to control everything, we don’t allow Him to reveal that part of Himself to us.

LOST IN MY IDENTITY, INSECURE AND HOPELESS, THE LOVE OF CHRIST CHANGED ME

Why not set aside five months of your life to chase after God with everything you have? Look back at where you were five months ago. How much is different? How much is the same? I can guarantee you that when you look back after your DTS you will see that a transformation has taken place. That is the power of giving everything over to God.

Lost in my identity, insecure and hopeless, the love of Christ changed me. Will you let Him change you?

Thinking about getting involved in missions? Learn more about a YWAM Discipleship Training School!

A Discipleship Training School is a 5 1/2 month intensive missions and discipleship course. The journey begins in Lakeside, Montana where students get to learn and grow in the Lord followed by traveling to an outreach location to make God known in the nations.

Worship is Not Filler

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I was recently leading worship at an event where the MC announced to the congregation, “Make sure you arrive on time to our next gathering!  We’ll be jumping right into the thick of things and we won’t have any ‘worship filler.’” Besides struggling with my personal feelings of being devalued, I had to contend with my own willingness to get offended by such a blatant disregard for what should be prioritized rather than marginalized.

In our western culture, we often believe that the most obvious and impactful methods for communicating truth is through teachings and lectures.  While I strongly value the need to exhort God’s people and accurately teach the Word of God, perhaps we might consider that time spent listening and responding to God Himself in worship times could have an even greater impact on the Community of Believers to understand how to apply and obey the truth of God’s Word.

In worship, we are called to look past our circumstances and understanding in order to proclaim that God is God and we are not

When we engage with the presence of God in worship, we position ourselves to better understand and commit to obedience. Worship itself is an act of obedience that defies our selfishness and egocentric tendencies.  In worship, we are called to look past our circumstances and understanding in order to proclaim that God is God and we are not. We position ourselves to hear that the God we adore indeed has intense affections for us, and the more we understand the fact that He loves us, the easier it is for us to obey what He is calling us to.

It seems we tend to rely on our sermons to call people to obedience because we don’t trust that God Himself can call people to advance His Kingdom according to His design. Perhaps we rely on our eloquent speeches because we are convinced that listening to God is too difficult for the average believer, so therefore it is up to us to call His people toward action.

While these teachings and exhortations can and should be powerful, we simply cannot allow them to dominate all of our gatherings at the cost of diminishing or devaluing time spent together in worshiping at the feet of the One who promises that His faithfulness can be trusted because He indeed loves.  When we finally come to a place of revelation, where God’s love is personally experienced,  we can  then in abandon and gladness follow wherever He leads.

Are you interested in exploring this topic further? Join Kristy and the rest of our Worship Arts Department this spring for The Well.

The Well is a hands-on training and practicum program for worship leaders and worship musicians. This program is designed to challenge worship musicians by moving beyond simple worship sets towards a more integrated worship model that places a high emphasis on response to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Click the image below for more info and consider joining us this spring for The Well!

thewell

10 Lessons I Have Learned From a Decade of Web Development

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It’s hard to believe that I have been developing web sites for about a decade now. I still remember my introduction to the web back in high school when the model was “the more the better”, and “if it flashes or moves, it’s cool.”  Back then, hover effects were a pro-grade effect, tables were still the best way to lay out a site, and viewing a website on a phone was something that would have quickly been labeled as absurd.

I hope this article can be a help for any web developer out there but particularly those with a kingdom advancing mentality. For the most part, I have been developing sites for Christian missions organizations and churches. That being said, most of the tips are more practical, however some have a little bit more of a spiritual development aspect. Since starting I haven’t been able to get enough of it, and love creating alongside the Creator. Contrary to popular belief, God is actually a pretty incredible programmer, and has spoon fed me a few ingenious solutions to decent sized problems over the past few years. I owe Him everything. So, without further adieu here are “10 Lessons I Have Learned From a Decade of Web Development”.

1. Learn, and continue to learn, all the time

This one is near and dear to my heart, and there’s a reason it’s at the top of the list. As a young student at Purdue University I really didn’t have a grasp on exactly why many of the classes were structured the way they were. As I look back now, I realize exactly why we were given labs without much explanation, problems without foreseeable solutions, and were for the most part expected to teach ourselves the material.

My favorite example of this phenomenon was in a Computer Science “weed-out” class. On the first day of class we were placed at a computer with a black screen and a blinking green cursor. There was an explicit set of to-dos but we weren’t given any tips on how to accomplish the tasks. Nearly half the students didn’t show up for class the next day. It became painfully clear that our professors and teaching assistants were merely there as coaches, continually reminding us to “keep trying, until it works.”

Sitting where I am today, I am grateful for that rigorous, seemingly “life-draining” system that didn’t teach me how to do one or two specific things, and furthermore wasn’t there to feed me the answers. Rather, I was taught how to approach any problem with resolve, knowing that the solution is just a little research, a few late nights, and a couple innovations away.

2. Sharpen your ax, before you try to chop down the tree

“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend four hours sharpening my ax.” – Abraham Lincoln

each hour spent preparing is worth several hours of troubleshooting

Something that has definitely proven true is that each hour spent preparing is worth several hours of troubleshooting a system that wasn’t thought through very well. When building new systems, or altering existing ones the preparation time is critical, and should never be rushed. The conceptualization and planning for each project will look different depending on what the project is trying to accomplish. But typically, I try to think about as many problems, difficulties, and pieces of system functionality as I possibly can and work them out before I even type a single line of code.

3. Think Long Term

I have always despised working on projects where it is apparent that the last person did not have long term vision. If, while you are working on something, you have the thought, “This is going to be a nightmare for the next person,” stop what you are doing immediately and take on the nightmare yourself. Don’t be that person!

When it comes to websites, I have realized if you aim for major releases having 4-5 years of solid use, you’ll probably get 2-3 good years before you start to notice the functionality, graphics, and the utility of the site as they begin to break down and show their age. Being able to view sites on mobile devices has been, without doubt, the biggest wrench in any website’s longevity. The last site I made that wasn’t “mobile first” is now nearing 4 years of age.

When creating new systems, it’s always important to try to anticipate future needs and adaptations, and create an environment that allows those to happen organically and without too much disruption.

4. If you can renovate well, you’ll be able to build exceptionally

I once had a master carpenter tell me that if you can renovate something well, building anything from scratch will seem like a cake walk. That phrase has held true in a lot of other aspects of my life far past carpentry, and certainly web development.

What he meant was that often times the hardest task can be taking existing infrastructure and adapting it to fit the current day’s needs. History has shown that this, more often than not, is how the world works anyway. We live in a post-post modern world, where companies are often times built on the backs of other companies that have existing infrastructure. Rarely do web developers get requests for entirely “new” sites, but rather a third, fourth, or fifth generation face lift on an existing site using an existing database of information.

I have learned to take “renovation” jobs with a different type of attitude and grit, fully knowing that they require a far greater amount of expertise and creative innovation.

5. Don’t reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to

This is a big one. Every once in awhile I run into people who just love the idea of a completely custom system. Custom back-end, custom database structure, custom front-end, custom everything. No real good reason, they just like the idea of having a custom solution.

I haven’t ever gone as far as the above example, but I definitely feel like I have broken this rule enough to be an expert on it.  I am a compulsive “envelope pusher,” if there is such a term.  If it’s been done before, it’s not good enough. To say I have learned my lesson would be an understatement.

There are definitely times to be innovative to try and figure out new and (potentially) better ways to do things, but it almost always comes at a high price of time and complexity. There are a lot of tools already out there. Many of them have been sharpened over years and years of use and abuse, and to be frank, they are probably better than what you’ll come up in the handful of hours you have to dedicate to it. My advice is to make room for some of these tools in your bag of tricks, because they’ll help you do your job better, and give you more time to focus on your clients needs. I have found that fixing, or backtracking where I have pushed too far, was often costly and not very fun. So push wisely when you have to, and know when to utilize the resources that are already out there.

6. Functionality; because if it doesn’t have it, nothing else matters

This one is pretty obvious, but I have to include it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how pretty it is.

7. When it comes to God, never settle for Good Enough

We, the church, have the anointing of the Creator; the One who invented creativity. We should be leading the world in creative efforts to make lasting change

Something I noticed growing up in the church was that when it comes to tech, web or anything of the sort, there seems to be a victim mentality. This mentality says that it should settle for “good enough” and the “best” is out of reach and a waste of time. This has never made sense to me. God has a passion for building His church, so why would He not equip us to be leaders in every industry.  I am not saying that He is going to bless us with riches to buy the most expensive equipment and the most ostentatious of buildings. But what I am saying is that we, the church, have the anointing of the Creator; the One who invented creativity. We should be leading the world in creative efforts to make lasting change.

So whatever it is you specialize in, especially for the sake of the Kingdom, be bold and know that you have been anointed by the Creator and inventor of everything; He has chosen you. Alongside Him, there is nothing that can’t be done. Keep pressing into your work, and keep asking God for more wisdom, knowledge, and creativity. He will give it to you, and one day you’ll look back and wonder how the rest of the world does anything without Him.

8. Learn to listen to God, and take action when you hear Him

It wasn’t until I was well outside of college that I realized the importance of inviting God the everyday matters of life. Contrary to popular belief, God loves to talk shop.

I have begun to rely on God as “Option A” when it comes to troubleshooting and creative thinking. The funny thing about hearing the voice of God, especially when it comes to things like web development, is that it is often a journey, not an experience. What I mean by that is that it takes time, energy, and a certain amount of focus; it doesn’t just happen… most of the time. In my experience, some of the most incredible solutions God has led me to have been fraught with multiple failed attempts before it. Sometimes God wants us to exhaust all of our options, before plopping the answer in our laps in such an unmistakable way that it’s impossible to deny Him the credit. Some of the most incredible innovations I have ever been a part of have followed this methodology to a tee. In other words, only after completely eliminating myself, my ideas, abilities, and pride from the equation has God presented His solution.

Why does God work this way? God wants us to be the best in our field. He wants us to go through the trials that continually shape and sharpen us into the industry leaders He knows we can be. He knows that the better at something you are, the louder your microphone gets into the people’s lives around you.

9. Live faithfully in the small challenges

I have often heard it said that God won’t trust you with the big stuff, until He knows you can be faithful in the little things. This is absolutely true in everything! As I look back, I can draw lines from one challenge to another and pinpoint some of the bigger obstacles in my life that those small challenges prepared me for.

Sometimes we get so focused on our idea of reaching the top that we forget about the many steps we will need to take just to reach base camp. Keeping your eyes on the summit will always inspire you, but the only thing that will get you there are slow, careful, and faithful steps towards the top.

What I have begun to realize is that God is always preparing me for something one step at a time, and measuring my preparedness by my willingness to accept the challenges He presents to me. The key is being faithful in each step, and trusting that God has a plan for what often doesn’t seem to make sense. It hasn’t always involved my profession, interests, or even my passions. In the past, it was simple things like showing up for class on time at 7:00 AM, not just walking past an overflowing garbage can without taking it out, and other times it was serving my housemates by doing their dishes for them when I knew they had a busy week. In web development, it can be things like taking time to comment your code, cleaning up sloppy code, following coding standards and not creating nightmares for other people.

So often we like to live in the “Big” picture: How many people will I bring to the Lord in my life? Can we really change an entire nation in one generation? What school will I go to? What company will I work for? What will my retirement will look like? Who will I marry? Will my children end up accepting Jesus? By no means are any of these things bad, but unless we are faithful in the small things, many of them may never come to pass. Walking with God is a lot like climbing a mountain. Sometimes we get so focused on our idea of reaching the top that we forget about the many steps we will need to take just to reach base camp. Keeping your eyes on the summit will always inspire you, but the only thing that will get you there are slow, careful, and faithful steps towards the top.

10. Know when to stop

It only seems fitting to shut this thing down with my last point; knowing when to stop. Fortunately and unfortunately, the world of web development changes with each day that goes by. New interface designs, better mobile frameworks, new plugins, slicker CMS functionality etc. The list will forever go on and on, and it will only change with more speed as more people become authors of the web.

It’s important to know when to wrap a project up. Of course there will always be minor adjustments and bug fixes along the way, but major changes and upgrades need to be strongly considered for future major releases.

What I began to realize when I first started web development was that the more I was able to let go of past projects, the more I was able to launch myself into current and future techniques and practices. Letting your projects be done, allows your future projects to thrive all the more.

10 Things from My Backcountry Kit that Work Great on Outreach

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This is the first installment in a two-part series on things that translate from backcountry use and practice onto the mission field. Being the gear junkie that I am, I’m kicking things off with my personal, and EDTS field-tested, top 10 pieces of gear that translate from a backcountry kit to the mission field. Be sure to check out Part Two as well.

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 #1 – The “Butt Pad”

It’s light, it’s compact and it comes in handy on those long road trips to a village in the back of a truck with 20 people in it. Make one yourself from a retired foam sleeping pad or check out the Therm-a-Rest Z-Seat Camp Chair.

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#2 – Water Purification Tablets

Remember, water filtration is not the same as water purification. Do your homework and understand where you’re going, what the water quality is like, and the tools that you’ll need in order to safely treat water for consumption. Even if I’m prepared with filters, purifiers and the like, I always carry emergency water treatment tablets.

#3 & #4 – P-Cord (AKA: Parachute cord, paracord or 550 cord) and at least one Locking Carabineer

I recommend at least 50’ per person and a few hundred feet if you’re the gear guy/gal in the group. Multiple uses included stringing up mosquito nets, keeping packs and other gear off the ground and drying your laundry!

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#5 – Multi-tool/Pocketknife

If you’ve ever used one of these you no doubt realized that it was useful for fixing something that you didn’t think could be fixed without the proper tool! (Remember, when in doubt, just bang harder!) A lot of people think that bigger is better, but my favorite, and most used, knife/tool is my Swiss Army SwissCard.

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#6 – Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap

I carried a bottle of this stuff the entire 2,174 miles of the Appalachian Trail back in 2004. I have also taken a bottle of it on every outreach that I’ve been on. My favorite use is as shaving cream. It is especially invigorating when there’s no hot water! I recommend pairing it with a liberal application of Gold Bond Medicated Powder (#7 on my list) post bucket shower/sponge bath. *Warning! One time I had a leak in my bottle and it seeped into the foam of my backpack. For the better part of a day I thought I had a spinal cord injury due to the constant hot, tingling sensation in my back while I hiked. I always bag it in a Ziploc (#8 on my list) just in case!

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#9 – All Purpose Cloth (APC) also known as a bandana

So many uses! Just remember to let the sun’s UV rays do their thing from time to time to kill all the nastiness on it.

#10 – Electrolyte Tablets

After a long day on the trail when I feel flat out fatigued this is my go-to recovery aid of choice. Same thing applies to the field. On those long, hot days ministering in the city or a village, sweat loss, exertion and stress/strain are sure to add up and drain you. Keep hydrated and keep those electrolyte levels up. Coconut water and ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) are comparable alternatives. Coconut water can give you the runs so consume wisely. My favorite go-to tablets are the Hammer Endurolyte Fizz tabs.

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The vision for the Endurance DTS outdoor ministry is to take students deeper into their own discipleship journey with Christ, and then give them the tools to reach out to others, particularly within the outdoor industry. We know that people on a trip, trek or great adventure are often seeking deeper spiritual revelation as they journey, and God has given us a desire to reach out and meet these individuals along the way. Endurance DTS aims to equip our students to engage with both the lost and trekker/adventurers, and to testify to Christ’s saving grace and faithfulness with credibility and confidence.

Click the image below to learn more about EDTS!

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Courage for the Battle

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If someone advised you, “Take courage!” how would you respond? “Why?” might be my immediate response.

In Joshua 1:6-9, we see the Lord commanding Joshua to be “strong and courageous” three times. But if we take a closer look, we also see the Lord commanding Joshua to obey the Law three times as well. The Lord only exhorts for bravery on account of the battles he would fight once (verse 6).  The next two verses (7-8) speak entirely about Joshua being courageous regarding loving and keeping the Law.  Verse 9 provides a kind of final, hand-on-the-shoulder, “be strong and courageous”. Why would Joshua need such clear encouragement?

The battle for our hearts is perhaps the hardest battle for leaders and followers alike.

Deuteronomy 31-34 gives us the answer: once in the Promised Land, the people would all “turn to foreign gods…” (Dt. 31:16, 20). This is more than a military battle. Perhaps what we commonly interpret as an encouragement for bravery in battle, is actually an encouragement for Joshua to be brave in loving and obeying God. The battle for our hearts is perhaps the hardest battle for leaders and followers alike.

You Need More Than Courage

Tackling “giants” is nothing to God; overcoming the hearts of men, now that’s another issue all in itself. Joshua had seen giants and had hoped for the chance to overcome them 40 years earlier during the spies’ first foray into Canaan (Numbers 13). However, Joshua had also witnessed the effects of unbelief and rebellion. Joshua needed a love for God and His Law even more than strength, courage, and determination in battle. It would take all these things to complete the mission God had given him.

It takes courage to obey God, yet even more courage to lead unwilling people to do the same. Giants are one thing; tackling the hearts of rebellious (or doubting) people is another.

A Leader Must Seek God’s Approval

Joshua’s story also offers another valuable truth: we don’t get our [ultimate] validation from people. This is especially important for those in leadership. Affirmation is wonderful, but man’s approval (or lack thereof) does not determine one’s identity in Christ. I realize that affirmation is important and valid, but is it vitally important? …important enough to tempt us to rebel?

As you go out into the next chapter of your life, don’t forget the things God has told you, shown you, and promised you. The giants you may be facing are one thing, and God can take care of those.  Sickness, pride, divorce, poverty, child-trafficking… these are giants God wants to (and can) slay. It’s the giant of our heart—our devotion to Him—that God won’t force (cf Matt 15:8, 16:24, Rev. 3:20).

The validation that counts to those who follow the master comes from the master.

Give Him access to this “giant,” and there is nothing God can’t do through you.The point is this: don’t try to be a super leader. Instead, love God’s Word and remain faithful. In our world today, it takes more courage to be obedient and pursue holiness than it does to simply be “relevant”. Obedience in the life of a disciple is the natural overflow of a life impacted by the Gospel. The validation that counts to those who follow the master comes from the master. Joshua needed to understand this truth, and it’s this truth that would ultimately make him a better servant and leader for the people.

Open the door to Him daily.  Be faithful with His Word—spoken and written. Be strong and courageous! Have courage for the battle!

Consider These Questions Today:

  1. Are you “in the Word”? Is the Bible a primary part of your life? Do you “love the Law and God’s commandments” as Joshua was exhorted to?
  2. Are you trying too hard to be relevant, or do you simply need more courage to be obedient?
  3. In your leadership (or followership) are you more concerned with disappointing people, or pleasing God?
  4. What safeguards (good habits and relationships) do you have in your life which help you to see clearly in every decision?

Knowing Vs Believing

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I will be vulnerable and honestly say this past month has been hard for me. Our ministry here in Nepal has been spirit led, the team has continually grown, and we have had the privilege to see God moving in Nepal. In spite of all of this, this past month has still been a struggle. This is the first time where I’ve been in a country that is so closed to the idea Christianity. Last year I led a team to Haiti. Even in that nation, where Voodoo is so deeply entrenched in the culture, the Haitians were at least open to what we had to share. Here in Nepal, so very few will take to heart the message of Jesus we desperately want to share with them.

Seeing this day after day has really brought me down. I KNEW deep down that we had been planting seeds daily and I tried convincing myself that the truth of God was moving within each person that we spoke to. However, I still found myself being discouraged.

“You can only gain a big heart by allowing Jesus to break your little one.”

After two weeks of ministry, I came to the realization that I still didn’t have a heart for the Nepali people. During our DTS lecture phase one of our speakers, Jackie Pullinger, told us – “You can only gain a big heart by allowing Jesus to break your little one.”

I realized that I  had been so caught up in my discouragement that I hadn’t been willing to allow God to break my heart for the Nepali people.

It was incredible to see and feel the change within me after this revelation. I began to see every situation differently. I began to see the hurt and brokenness and desire for more within each person.  It no longer mattered if I thought they were even listening, or if they cared, or if they were only there because they had nothing better to do, or because they wanted to argue with us. I was excited after ministry, whether we saw results or not. I not only KNOW that God is working in Nepal, but now I BELIEVE with all my heart that God is working within each and every person that hears the truth of God that we’re here to share.

It’s taken me a month longer then it should have to bring myself to this place, but I’ve finally allowed God to break my little heart and I no longer have to convince myself that God is moving. Now I BELIEVE with all my heart he is.

We Are All Counselors

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We are all counselors. Christians and non-Christians alike, in every word and deed, provide counsel to another of either righteousness or wickedness. Though not everyone holds a master’s degree or Ph.D., all Christians are empowered by the Great Physician. The process of becoming well trained in our righteous counsel comes from studying the scriptures, and ultimately deeply knowing and loving the Mighty Counselor.

WE POINT OTHERS TO LIFE WHEN WE POINT THEM TO JESUS

Christians in a private counseling office, standing behind a pulpit, or sitting in a pew alike are in the process of being redeemed. Since redemption is a lifelong process, no one has arrived yet, thus all are responsible for pointing one another to the trust and true way to Life: because we all alike desperately need Him.

We point others to life when we point them to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:16). This is practically done by living out of our identity in Him: walking in humility, service, unconditional love, grace, forgiveness, and submission to the Father’s will. Leading others in right counsel also includes an uncompromising resolve to proclaim the truth.

Paul David Tripp states,

“The central work of God’s kingdom is change. God accomplishes this work as the Holy Spirit empowers people to bring His Word to others. We bring more than solutions, strategies, principles, and commands. We bring the greatest story ever told, the story of the Redeemer… This is the work of the kingdom of God: people in the hands of the Redeemer, daily functioning as his tools of lasting change.” (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, 35)

What counsel are we providing to others; furthermore, what are we doing to equip ourselves to provide righteous counsel to the glory of God?

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

The Psalter contrasts taking wicked counsel to delighting in the Lord and His law. The contrast here provides implication that those who dwell amid the Word of the Lord will provide right counsel, or live and speak in a way that glorifies God. The more we know, love, and treasure His Word in our hearts, the more we are conformed to His likeness and are further able to point others to the Redeemer Himself, who changes hearts.

Jeremiah

The prophet Jeremiah was a righteous counselor; though, he did not speak words that the people wanted to hear. Jeremiah spoke the truth, and in contrast he classifies those that merely spoke whatever the people wanted to hear as false prophets, preaching peace, peace, when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:13-14).

The prophet Jeremiah provides example that providing righteous counsel may not mean acceptance or popularity, but it does mean Life. Through the Holy Spirit, the Word dwelling within us, we are equipped to counsel well, and that means with Truth in the way of righteousness, leading to eternal life.

Job

While Job was suffering, he received counsel from his friends, and despite their good intentions, they were not counseling him with truth, but rather in deceit as they insisted his suffering was on behalf of his sin. Their ignorance to God’s character proved them worthless counselors, not leading Job in the way of Truth but rather leading him from it.

“As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all.” (Job 13:4)

Let’s not be like Job’s friends, but be counselors of righteousness and truth, pointing to the glory of God in our every word and deed. Everything we do provides counsel to another, and as saints our duty is to live and speak in such a way that counsels others in the way of righteousness. The more we let His Word and His presence impact our hearts, the more we will grow the fruit of righteousness: leading others to see and savor the Lord as most glorious.

Planning your Engagement, Wedding & Honeymoon

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Plan For God’s Sake!

This post and Ron’s previous article entitled “Sex & Engagement” are excerpts from an upcoming book that he is writing on this topic. Check this space for more information as it becomes available.

What we do is for Future Generations

I often say this to young couples in their pre-marital counseling. I say something like, “This is not about you. This is about God and the generations that follow you.”

Our dating, our engagements and our honeymoons are not only for us. Future generations will look to us in the way that we have conducted ourselves and what we have done. What we do now is also for our grandchildren. We do them a favor by planning well.

If we plan well, it will mark our actions.

We ask for pain if we do not think about future generations in our dating, our engagements and our honeymoons. We write a legacy by the way we date, the way we walk out our engagement and how we take our honeymoon. Will our legacy be a good one or a bad one? So much depends on our planning.

God told his people to write their experiences down for future generations. These future generations would learn and encounter his power by this. The Old Testament repeats this admonition, over and over.

We read that the first generation after Joshua rose up and did not know the Lord nor His word in the way Joshua and his generation did. Israel repeated this pattern-generation after generation. Joshua won, following generations in Israel failed. They did not know Godʼs testimonies, nor did they know the Lord himself like Joshua did. Judges 2:10 tells us that “there arose another generation after Joshua who did not know the Lord, nor the work which he had done for Israel.”

They did not know the work which the Lord had done in the past. Ignorance produced problems. Ignorance allowed idols. Ignorance brought pain for Israel.

Plan Engagements Strategically

I EXPERIENCED UNFORESEEN TEMPTATION, THE DAY AFTER I GOT ENGAGED, WHICH I CAN NEVER FORGET

I prayed for a wife for 5 years after I became a believer. It seemed that the more I prayed, the more God gave each of my friends their wives. Finally, I met the woman I loved. We dated from February 1 until July 4, 1975- then we got engaged. I experienced unforeseen temptation, the day after I got engaged, which I can never forget.

Here is the story.

As a seminary student on summer break, I worked at a yacht club, north of Boston during the summer of my engagement in 1975. I was the “house boy”. This meant, I basically oversaw everything that happened in the building and the facilities of the club. For all intents and purposes, I was the “right hand man” to the manager of the club.

The members of the club liked my work and gave me extra hours from 6-9 pm simply sitting in the office, answering the phone and eating whatever I wanted out of the club kitchen (fortunately, it was usually steak and fries). Directly, above my office, a young woman lived, who was a Ph.D. student at an Ivy league school. She taught the kids of the club members how to sail.

She stormed into my office at 6 pm, the night after I got engaged. She held a large bag of groceries, set it down on my desk, and pulled out a wine bottle from the top of the bag.

She said to me;
“I know you get off work at 9 why donʼt you come up to my room afterward letʼs finish this bottle of wine together.”

Someone could have hit me over the head with something and I would not have been more stunned. I wish I had said “Get behind me Satan.” Instead, I replied, “I will have to think about it.” I am embarrassed to have to write that.
I had been engaged 24 hours. I walked out of the office to the end of the pier and simply stared out at the water.

I do not remember praying. I do not remember thinking of any Bible verses.

I stared for 45 minutes in dazed amazement, thinking, “this girl wants to have sex with me.” From somewhere, this thought came, “If I would do this now (and cheat on Judy), I would do this after we get married.”

Because of the distaste of that thought concerning my future, I somehow dodged a bullet and avoided finishing (or starting) the bottle of wine with my Ivy League co-worker that first night after my engagement. For this, I am totally thankful.

Thinking of an unpleasant future effected my behavior that day in July of 1975. That temptation shook me so deeply that it was years before I even shared it with anyone-including Judy. I am not sure, I could have planned for that incident. The distasteful thought of cheating on my fiancé was so abysmal.

So, I managed my engagement without having sex-either with my future wife or with my sailing instructor co-worker. If the statistics are to be believed, everybody is not quite so fortunate.

When I think of how overpowering that sexual temptation was, I think we are called by God to seriously think in advance about all of this–and plan.

PLAN TO AVOID TEMPTATION AND PRAY TO STAY AWAY FROM TEMPTATION

Plan to avoid temptation and pray to stay away from temptation-Jesus told us to do so in the Lordʼs prayer. The apostle Paul told us to flee.

Plan like the future depends on it, ours and our childrenʼs. It does, it really does!

A lengthy engagement and the romantic moment got the better of my friends Julie and Timothy (not their real names). They had been engaged a long time (around a year). 10 weeks before their wedding, they had their first sex together and Julie got pregnant that night. They, properly repented, and have continued on in the ministry and have a wonderful and broad field of service.

So take heart, if you have failed sexually in your engagement. God still wants a bright future for you anyway! He loves you and can pick you up – if you will make room for Him to do it! It will be painful.

My good friends let the present moment take over their future, so God had to rebuild their future for them after a failure.

Engagements need to be thought through, discussed in depth and strategically planned so that the fury of the moment does not take over sexually.
I think the advice of wisdom is to approach your engagement with a well thought out and discussed strategy.

Plan engagements-our future and the future of our children depend on it.

To be brief-The shorter engagement the better!
Martin Luther (one of the brightest lights in church history) got engaged and married on the same day!

Eight thoughts on planning your engagement:

  1. Set Scriptural boundaries (they are different for different people). 1 Thessalonians 4 states that the standard is “holiness and honor”. Any sexual arousal or genital touching or stimulation is out of bounds. Late night or unplanned dates can be dangerous.
  2. Get good and participatory counseling (the counselors should meet several times with you).
  3. Read in preparation for your marriage (1. A money book, 2. A communication book, 3. A sex book 4. IVP published, A Handbook for Engaged couples.)
  4. Stay in the word, in prayer and in fellowship with other believers
  5. Be reasonable with wedding and honeymoon expectations
  6. Be faith filled with wedding and honeymoon expectations. (Remember future generations will watch what we do and follow our lead). God can do miracles!
  7. Talk, talk, talk–the more the better. (There is an inverse relationship between how physical you are in your engagement relationship and how well you actually get to know each other).
  8. Get married for Godʼs sake!

Plan your Honeymoon Thoughtfully

Alcohol and honeymoons often create pain. We need to think!

Raymond and Estelle, young honeymooning couple, went to the popular Mexican destination, Cozumel. Ray drank Corona beer. Stella drank Margaritas-a lot of them! The ice was made with local water (live with bacteria, parasites and germs). The fire of romance was extinguished for a few days by the fire of Montezumaʼs Revenge!

Another new bride thought it wise to relax with a glass or two of champagne. She never drank. Having downed a glass or three, her husband exited the shower room on his wedding night, to find his new bride under the bed instead of on it.

FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL NEED YOUR ADVICE, EITHER TO FOLLOW OR TO AVOID

The key theme is to plan and think for Godʼs sake!- and for the sake of your spouse. Future generations will need your advice, either to follow or to avoid. We might as well give them something good to follow (or we might give them something to grimace and laugh at).

My friend, Rich, honeymooned in sunny Thailand. He burned! Not with the passion of romance-but from the fire of the sun with a serious and third degree sunburn. Another of my friends, Jake, honeymooned in a beautiful winter ski resort. After skiing one day, he stood too close with his back to the fireplace in his honeymoon suite for far too long. His wife romantically applied aloes to his second degree burned butt for the rest of their time in the mountains.

I have other friends who decided to fly somewhere exotic in the world. Going somewhere unknown can be counterproductive. Places can look great online and not be so nice when we get there. Culture shock is an unwelcome guest on a honeymoon. Others get to their hotel late the first night and want to fly out on the first flight the next morning. This does not make for an optimum first night together. Another friend and his wife spent the first couple of busy days recovering from the unsettled frenzy of the nuptial events surrounding the wedding date. Exhaustion rather than sexual excitement marked their first days together!

It is also important to think about how one leaves the wedding reception. One of my friends, Kyle, drove 30 miles down the highway to find that his 10 year old brother had been hidden in the backseat of his getaway car. That poor little kid was put out on the side of the road on the side of a west Texas highway. Another pair of friends found themselves driving 60 miles an hour down the wrong side of the highway because of their amorous antics on the way from their reception to the honeymoon hotel.

Letʼs not be moronic!

Speaking of planning: My friend Brad, tells the story of his pastor. He failed to properly plan for his wedding night. How you ask? — by forgetting to book a hotel room. Hard to believe but, nevertheless, true. He and his new wife spent their highly anticipated wedding night together in his Ford Pinto!

Plan – and think (!) for Godʼs sake!

Seven thoughts on Planning your Honeymoon:

  1. Discuss Expectations thoroughly. Talk about them at length and honor each otherʼs wishes.
  2. The longer the honeymoon-the better! You are setting a foundation for the rest of your life (and also setting a foundation for following generations)!
  3. Listen discriminately to honeymoon stories for people who had a good engagement experience and a good honeymoon experience. Do not listen to honeymoon horror stories.
  4. Remember you only get one honeymoon-Celebrate!!
  5. Think strategically about the first two or three days. Do not travel far, do get married early in the day, and go easy on the alcohol!
  6. Do not be foolish leaving the reception and traveling to your honeymoon hotel. (People have endangered their own lives and the lives of others by being foolish and not paying attention to the road while driving.)
  7. Be practical in your packing: sun tan lotion, birth control, correct clothing, passports, plane tickets etc. etc. Make a list.
  8. Remember to pray!

 

Did you enjoy this post?

This post and Ron’s article entitled “Sex & Engagement” are excerpts from an upcoming book that he is writing on this topic. Check this space for more information as it becomes available.

Endurance, Discipleship & The Great Outdoors

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I was recently invited to be the guest speaker at a Wisconsin church’s outdoor family ministry banquet.  The banquet is a few months off, but as I started preparing for what I might share – perhaps some personal stories from the great outdoors, tying a life of outdoor pursuits into the life of a disciple of Christ, using outdoor skills for missions – I was compelled to start by writing this piece.

It seems appropriate to take pause for a minute and reflect.  All the more sweet is the fact that I’m writing it while I fly to Portland, OR to attend a friend’s wedding.  More than a friend’s wedding though, but a fellow adventurer who I “did life with” 10 years ago as we thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail.  Life with Jesus and outdoor life is pure adventure, joy, endurance and reliance on God!

It has been nearly 5 years since Betsy and I shared the initial vision for Endurance DTS with our colleagues and partners in ministry and this summer marks the 4th 22-week Endurance DTS that we have led at YWAM Montana – Lakeside.

We’ve learned a lot about outdoor ministry over the past years, adding to a foundation that we have always had for reaching out to those in the industry and those on a journey, along with our life-long enjoyment of camping, hiking and adventure.

What I think is most remarkable about the EDTS program are the outreaches that EDTS has been a part of in the past four years.  They are worth listing, and they communicate a dedication among the 45 EDTS students and 12 different staff through the years to know God and make Him known to the nations and the global outdoor community. 

2011 – Banner Elk, NC and Spain

2012 – Canmore, Canada and Cambodia

2013 – Nepal

2014 – Nepal and Cambodia

But we can’t talk about outreach without emphasizing all of the outreach, networking and Jesus-sharing that happens on a day-to-day basis as we run the EDTS program.  There are dozens of local, national and international partnerships with both Christian and non-Christian local businesses, churches, camps, permitting/regulatory agencies, ministries and outdoor professionals that we rub shoulders with year in and year out.

Furthermore, there are the amazing conversations, relationships and presentations of the gospel message that happen around a campfire at a campground in the states, in a 3-sided shelter along a trail, in a tea house in the mountains of the Himalayas, in a remote village in Cambodia, in a gear shop in a sea town in Northern Spain or on top of a mountain in Montana.

What has struck me most about our 5 years of focused outdoor ministry is God’s faithfulness.  When we started out we had a clear direction for EDTS.  First of all, we knew it would truly be first and foremost a YWAM Discipleship Training School where students come to know God and make Him known. On top of that we wanted to add in the outdoor elements and use them strategically in missions.  But we’ve come to realize that we aren’t just “adding in” outdoor components to a DTS but running a true outdoor school on top of a true DTS program.  Ask any of the staff or students… it’s a 2-in-1 experience!   (As a side note, my parents recently visited and asked, “When do you get some down time?”  I told them that that rest comes around Thanksgiving and Christmas and sticks around until Memorial Day. Outside of that, well, it’s all-in.)

EDTS is an all-out effort by both staff and students.  But the fruit of these efforts only comes to ripen by the grace of God and his commitment to reach all people, and particularly, those in the outdoor industry.

Some of you reading this may by EDTS alumni, or friends of the program, while for others this may be your introduction to what God is doing here at YWAM Montana – Lakeside through EDTS.  Either way, the vision that God gave us for outdoor ministry through EDTS is happening!  The following outlines our goals, focus and vision.  God has faithfully, and continues to be faithful to accomplish the work that he has given us.

  • Know God and make Him known in the outdoor industry.
  • Support, serve and encourage Christians within the outdoor industry and Christian outdoor ministries worldwide.
  • Teach backcountry skills with an eye for use as mission-field skills (i.e. “translatable skills”).
  • Teach, learn and execute excellent outdoor skills in such a way to build credibility with those we interact with within the outdoor industry.
  • Interact with as many people as we can within the outdoors and the industry by offering fellowship and hospitality to all we meet, from the family on vacation together to the elite athlete in competition.
  • Build relationships and communicate with integrity with parks, agencies, businesses and individuals.

Outdoor ministry and EDTS have been no easy task.  It has been fun, challenging, and, at times, stressful, but overall it is a privilege and huge responsibility we’re blessed to be a part of.

The 2014 EDTS is in its 11th week.  Two EDTS teams head out for Cambodia and Nepal, respectively, in less than two weeks (this is our first year with two smaller outreach teams vs. one larger team).  Applications and inquires are coming in for the 2015 EDTS.  The staff team for next summer is also taking shape.  We head to Glacier National Park for one last week of “summer camping” before outreach (the forecast is for highs in the 40’s and lows in the 30’s).  If you’re thinking that facilitating outdoor ministry is a lot of work, you’re right.  But the rewards are endless…

To see students grow in their relationship with Christ is a blessing.  To see students step out and share their faith with other outdoor enthusiasts is an honor.  To see staff walk with students and point them to Christ through discipleship is to see the same work that Christ did with his disciples.  To see a mountain top reached, a rock pitch overcome, a fear of public speaking conquered, a new skill learned, a gospel presentation in a village that has never heard the good news, a person healed physically, mentally and emotionally, a Jesus-following community along a journey with other journeyers, an outreach focused program doing outreach, a Russell family of 4 doing life and ministry together…  Well that is outdoor ministry and that is Endurance DTS.

Let the adventure continue…

Click the image below to learn more about EDTS!

edts
Outdoor Discipleship