coffee/mango sunday arvo...turned into night
This past week has been quite the eventful one. I finally sent in my application forms for dts with Ywam Perth. For those who do not know what dts is. It stands for Discipleship Training School with a missionary organization called Youth With A Mission. Its a six month school with the first three months of it being a lecture phase. This phase is structured on different topics about Knowing more of God, Hearing His voice, Intercession and a heart for missions. Its about personal growth but also a spiritual growth with God. Its about learning and applying to the nations. "To know God, and make Him known." Then the next three months is outreach phase- where we go out to the nations and minister to His people.
I have to say it's been a God movement to push me into doing a dts. I was actually brought up in ywam. I use to go to Kings Kids. Have been on outreach many times. And, also got to minister with Island Breeze during my teenage years. Growing up, I knew that I was going to join ywam when I got older. Its where I grew to have a heart for missions. After leaving ywam, I got into a different place on knowing God. I had never known a different lifestyle, so I found it extremely hard to settle into a church. After awhile, I left behind the dreams of going back into ywam. I loved the idea that I was so different from my family. Most of my family have done a dts, so to them it was almost like a family tradition. But for me, it was an opportunity to stand out from them. To walk into a different path in life. Boy was I wrong.! This past year, I was recently asked to rejoin Island Breeze Brisbane just to help out with their production. They had joined up along with Ywam Brisbane. Brisbane are currently doing a Go Pass it On Tour around south east queensland. The initiative behind this, is to spread the message of Jesus to one country town and pass the message on. Its a week long process of working within the high schools, working alongside the churches, helping around the community and is ended in a family dinner concert-show on Saturday. After the first concert night, I was talking to the director of ib melbourne about how happy my life was without having to go back into ywam. I was a youth leader, doing bible college and had found a church i could call home. I spoke to a couple of young girls after the performance, testifying to them about God and his never ending love, and eventually got to pray for them.- that is what stirred me to going back into ywam. When I was younger, I never took the opportunity to minister to people. I was always taught that when we perform, we do it for Christ alone. But, I never got to minister to them about Christ. I always stood in the background and when people would come greet us and thank us, I would take it in. But now, that I've come back to it, I now understand the precious gifts God has given us. These gifts are tools to reach the unknown. It's the seed planted for people to understand Gods love. Its the conversation starter for people to receive the ever after. This is what God has called me to do.
I am reminded of a wonderful man named Sam Childers (also known as Machine Gun Preacher) had shared at a church service last Friday. He said so many Christians are sitting around, waiting for their calling in life, but what they lack to realize is that God has already called you! God has been calling you all your life, but YOU have to be the one to get up and just go! I don't want to be the seldom christian that just does church on Sunday and apply the message through the week. I want to serve Christ. I want to share His name. I want show people Christ's love. It's been a hard journey for me this year. Me going back into ywam is the initiative to make me grow more into Christ. It means stepping down as a youth leader, giving up bible college, but most importantly... stepping out of my comfort zone.
Conclusion:- don't be afraid to be used by God. This one life we have been given, should be a testimony of how grateful we are to have God in our lives. Why should we live a selfish life. Yes. Selfish! There are so many people out there who are in need to hear/feel/experience Gods love. Are we not being selfish if we keep it to ourselves? I'm not saying all of us have to be a missionary to share His word. But God is calling us to show Christs' love in our every day living.
Group hugs
Azera xx