DTS Graduation

When you set out to accomplish a goal, it is somewhat of a proud moment when that goal is accomplished. More than three years ago I decided to join my uncle and aunt, Jim and Barb, in coming to Arkansas to pioneer YWAM Ozarks. Our mission statement says that we want to create community that builds and disciples young people for missions, and mobilizes workers to serve in their God-given calling, both locally and in the unreached areas of the world.

The first ever Discipleship Training School (DTS) of YWAM Ozarks graduated tonight. It was an historical moment. Five students came here, from five different states, and joined our community. By living and working with us, and sitting in class, these students were built and discipled. They were then mobilized to Thailand and Cambodia for ten weeks to share the gospel and to serve people in practical ways. They returned with stories. They served long-term missionaries by cleaning and painting their building, which allowed the missionaries to spend their time and energy on the task of bringing lost people into relationship with God. They spent time getting to know Buddhist monks, being their friends and telling them about Jesus. One of these monks has now quit being a monk, and is very hungry to know more about Christ. They spent time bringing joy and hope into the lives of orphans with AIDS.

When I hear their stories, and when I see the change that has happened in their lives, I realize that we have accomplished what we set out to do. And there is more to come. This was just the first of many more DTSes, not to mention the other schools and programs that we run, such as Mission Adventures and School of Biblical Studies.

Sometimes when I look at the task ahead, the responsibilities that I have here, I get overwhelmed, and, to be quite honest, I become discouraged. I wonder how on earth we are ever going to accomplish anything. But at moments like these, I pause, and realize that we are accomplishing something. We are acheiving our goals, and we are making progress. And I can only stop and give thanks to the Lord for how He has led us, provided for us, and loved us. It is only by His strength that we are where we are today.

If you want to read more about our DTS outreach, check out the DTS Outreach Blog.

Watching the grass grow

Our Discipleship Training School (DTS) team returns today from their outreach in Cambodia. It's kind of exciting, I suppose kind of like watching a baby begin to grow up. Three years ago, a handful of us met together in Hawaii to pray into the formation of YWAM Ozarks. Two and a half years ago, Jim and Barb and their kids, Jen, and myself moved to Ozark and rented a house in town. We spent a lot of time praying, planning, and running small outreaches and programs. One year ago, we ran our first major program - Mission Adventures. Eight months ago, we purchased the Manitou Mountain Property, the 40+ acres that is now our campus, which at one time had been the location of Ozark Bible Institute, the Bible College my great-grandfather started. Six months ago we started our very first DTS by heading to New York City with our five students for a 2-week outreach trip. After the New York outreach, we returned to Ozark and the students completed the lecture phase. Two months ago they left Ozark to bring the Gospel and the love of Christ to Cambodia. The DTS returns tonight and will graduate next week.

I am excited because I have seen God work in the lives of these students, causing them to learn and to grow, to have opportunities to trust God and to step forward in faith, believing that God can use them to reach out to the hurting and the lost. I am also excited because I have seen this place, this campus, this ministry, this thing called YWAM Ozarks, grow, from the early stages to the not-as-early stages. We still have a long way to go, a lot of room to expand, and a lot more work to do, but we have come a long way from the beginning, and that encourages me, because I believe that we truly are obeying what God is asking from us, and that as we obey, He provides and meets our needs and reveals himself to us in amazing ways.

Awesome quote

Check out this quote that I came across awhile ago, I love it:

I have one candle of life to burn, and would rather burn it out where people are dying in darkness than in a land that is flooded with lights.

This was from a book of quotes that I have, called God's Greatest Ambition, and it is from an anonymous missionary. When you realize how many pastors and churches and Bibles we have in this nation, compared to how many are in a place like, say, Malaysia, or Iran, or Mauritania, that quote makes a lot of sense. Sometimes, in light of that quote, I wonder why God has called me here to Arkansas, and not to some third-world country that opposes the gospel or something, but I can trust Him that He knows what He is doing.

So happy, together!

A Contradiction in the Bible !?!?!?

I did it, I found a contradiction in the scriptures! Therefore, according to all evidence, the Bible is a fraud and all Christians should flee their faith and live their lives in reckless moral abandon. I'm glad that I made this discovery while I am still young, and that I haven't wasted too much of my life in the futile pursuit of a lie. (I hope you've picked up on my sarcasm by now.)

But seriously, I have been studying the book of James lately, and certain verses caught my attention. My curiosity caused me to dig a little deeper, cross referencing other verses in the Bible until I came across something that didn't seem quite right. James 2:24 says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." His whole point is that faith without good works is useless. How can a man say he has faith if his life doesn't exhibit it through the things he does? Paul, however, in the book of Romans, says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (3:28) His whole point is that we as humans can't earn our way into heaven by what we do or don't do, it is only by the grace of God through the work of Jesus Christ.

How do you reconcile these differences? James says a man is justified by works, not just by faith. Paul says a man is justified by faith, and not by works. They seem to be in direct conflict. They can't both be right, can they? And if one is right and one is wrong, then doesn't that mean the Bible has an error? And if the Bible has one error, how can you know that any of it is true? If a person looks at these verses alone, set apart from the whole of scripture, it would be easy to come to such a conclusion. But we must remember that every verse needs to be looked at in perspective of the whole Bible, and in context of a healthy relationship with God.

Both Paul and James use Abraham as an example from the Old Testament to illustrate their points. In Romans 4:3, Paul refers to a passage from Genesis 15:6, where it says that Abraham believed God, and he was marked as righteous because of it. What did Abraham believe? He believed God's promise to him, that God would cause his descendants to be as many as the stars in the sky. James also uses the same reference, but he also mentions Abraham's act of obedience, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham obeyed, (although at the last minute God provided an alternative and didn't actually require Abraham to kill his own son!) and because of Abraham's obedience, God renewed his promise to him(Genesis 22:16-17).

I know I'm no expert, but I don't believe that this means that one author is wrong and the other is right. I believe they are both right, they are simply addressing different issues, different problems. Paul is addressing legalism, while James is addressing laziness and disobedience. It brings a balance to the life of a believer. If I am insecure in my relationship with the Father, I will strive to do good works as a way to earn acceptance and love from Him. On the other hand, if I don't trust Him (which is also a sign of a lack of relationship), then I will not act in obedience to what He asks of me.

So in fact, these two verses, when it seems that they are contradicting each other, actually compliment one another. While Paul says don't do good works out of fear and insecurity, James is saying to do good works out of trust and love. What is your motivation - that is the issue here. Why do you follow and believe in God? For fear, or love? What is your relationship with God based on? Fear, or love?

Pictures from Senegal

I'm Back!

I have safely arrived home from my trip to Senegal. I was gone for 8 days, but only in Africa for 6 days, once you figure in a day for traveling there and a day for traveling back. It was a good trip, and I believe God was able to use our team to share His message. Thank you for your prayers; they were much needed. I kept a fairly detailed account of my trip in my journal, so the following are excerpts from it, which describe my time in Senegal while it was all happening.

April 25th:
Day 1 in Senegal, it's 5:30pm, and I'm ready for bed. I slept a little bit, uncomfortably, in the car on the way here, but I'm really going on about 6 hours of sleep in the past two days. It's hot - the temperature in our hotel room is about 90, and the electricity is out so we can't run the AC or the fan.
I'm excited about our opportunities. Talking with Jerry [local missionary], it sounds like the doors are wide open for sharing the gospel in these villages. He is very excited. With the heat and lack of sleep, however, I have very little energy.
You forget about certain things when you haven't traveled in awhile, like the trash everywhere, the barrenness of rooms and the uncivilized-ness of bathrooms. You forget the smell, the heat, and the awkwardness of language barrier. You forget the beauty of the people in how they look, smile, dress, carry themselves, and in how they relate to each other.

April 26th:
[Morning] It is now Day 2 in Senegal. I'm on the roof, the sun is rising, filling the air with its heat and brightness. A faint smell of sewage tickles my nose, and the rumbling of large trucks mixes with the cries of roosters to make for a unique combination of sounds. We will be heading out to the village soon for our first day of "story-ing." I am a little apprehensive because I don't know what this will look like or even what I will do. Today will push me outside my comfort zone, so I must be ready for that.
[Evening] After a day in the village - very relaxed and slow-paced - I really see the need for long-term discipleship and work. Jerry confirms that in conversations I have with him. Especially in this area of the world, where it often takes Muslims years to reach a decision to follow Christ, long-term commitment is necessary.

April 27th:
Today was eventful. Soon after Johnny's team left in Sombel's car, a boy, not looking, ran into their car! He was hurt, and they took him to the hospital. Everyone was worried, praying, although Jerry said this kind of thing happens often. Thankfully, the boy turned out to be fine.
We went to the village a little late because of the accident, but this time Jerry came with us. It was good to have his leadership and experience. We gave out the school supplies, which they really seemed to get excited about. We backtracked from yesterday, starting with Story 1 from Jerry's chronicled Bible stories, titled "God's plan for mankind," discussing questions that all men ask, like, "Who created the earth?" "What is God like?" "What is his purpose for man?" and "How do I know what will happen to me when I die?" These questions were followed by a few analogies explaining the need for foundations, and ended with describing 7 characteristics of God. I got to share the story, although it was a slow process, because of the need for translation into Sereer and French.
This opened up some questions, like one woman wanted to know where we go when we die, which Jerry carefully and deliberately answered. Then they shared how grateful they were that we came to share these stories and how it is God's will.
The people in this village are so friendly and hospitable. They give us their best chairs to sit on (old, plastic patio chairs), spread out a mat, sheet, and pillows under the shade in the afternoon for us to lay on, give us Attailla Tea (delicious) and cook a big meal for us.

So there you go, a running description of the events of my trip. The people in the two villages that our group shared the Gospel in were very receptive. I wish I could write that everyone in the villages accepted Jesus as their Savior after we shared, but I can't. Because of their background and mindset, it often takes a long time for anyone to decide to follow Christ. Thankfully, the missionaries we worked with, who live in Senegal, will regularly continue to go to these villages and share stories from the Bible. The encouraging thing is that the people are open and hungry for truth.