Hello friends and family, partners in faith as Paul would say!
This will be the last BIG blog that I will leave you until I return from outreach. I hadn't realized how much time had gone by since my last blog so what I have done below is a glimpse of what we have been learning in lecture phase. Now I will keep you updated as my team and I are on outreach.
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LECTURE PHASE:
I mentioned in a past blog Loren Cunningham's book that we read the first couple of weeks we were here. In addition to that book we have read four other books. For each book we read we have to submit a written or an oral report. It’s good for us and I have really enjoyed the five books that I have read.
“Hearing God is not all that difficult. If we know the Lord, we have already heard His voice—after all, it was the inner leading that brought us to Him in the first place. But we can hear His voice once and still miss His best if we don’t keep on listening. After the what of guidance come the when and the how.”
Is That Really You, God? By Loren Cunningham
Is That Really You, God? By Loren Cunningham
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We have had an amazing lecture phase with amazing speakers that we have very much enjoyed after our first week here which was bonding week. I have gathered up pieces of what we have been learning in class to share a with you.
Note: I have a lot of quotes from Blake Mattocks in an earlier post.
“Passion is a collision of mind and heart.” “Infatuation involves emotion without substance. We are more infatuated with God than we are in love with Him.”
-Notes from week 3, Jeff Pratt on Father Heart of God
“Our culture tells us not to be zealous but there is a great reward for those who are willing to walk where others are not.” “You never know how the effect of your obedience.” “Truth without love is harshness and condemnation, love without truth is compromise.” “CONDEMNATION is general, CONVICTION is specific.”
-Notes from week 4, Mark Davies on Fear of the Lord
“Every decision you make from now until you die will either be a loving decision or a selfish decision.” “Waiting is an action. Be proactive when waiting to enter into marriage, be preparing and developing yourself so you have much to offer your spouse.” “Corporate humility brings unity.” “The world shows us how to attract many men and God shows us how to attract one man.”
-Notes from week 5, Jeremy and Keeley Lange on Relationships
“The more you trust God the more He will flow through you, the best gift is the one needed at the time.” “Orphans are afraid to ask questions, a loved child is not afraid to ask questions. Come to the throne of grace with confidence.” “God is not looking for ability, He is looking for availability.” “Healing happens when God empowers us to forgive.”
-Notes from week 6, JR Pohlemus on Holy Spirit
“The Kingdom is like a country. If we are disciples we live in the Kingdom and bring it to earth. If you’re living in the Kingdom then people don’t ask what we believe, they ask what life is like there.”
-Notes from week 7, Dean Sherman on Spiritual Warfare
"We examined beauty, truth and goodness, identified them as reflections of the Trinitarian God, surveyed a few of the ways these absolutes are under attack, and reminded ourselves that the Father of Jesus will not be satisfied until every lost glory of His Kingdom is restored." (I packed my notes so I pulled this from his website because it so accurately shows you what we studied in class.)
-Notes from week 8, Don Stephens on Worldview and Kingdom of God
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OUTREACH:
Now is time for us to go into the outreach phase of DTS. I have the dates, leaving, and arriving information:
May 29 - Denver, Colorado to Oakland, California
June 3 - San Francisco, CA to Tokyo, Japan (June 4)
June 4 - Tokyo, Japan to Seoul, South Korea
June 13 - Seoul, South Korea to Hong Kong, China
June 13 - Hong Kong, China to Johannesburg, South Africa
June 30 - Johannesburg, South Africa to Entebbe, Uganda
July 11 - Entebbe, Uganda to Cairo, Egypt
July 11 - Cairo, Egypt to Paris, France
July 22 - Barcelona, Spain to Newark, New Jersey
July 22 - Newark, New Jersey to Miami, Florida
July 22 - Newark, New Jersey to Miami, Florida
July 23 - Miami, Florida to Port au Prince, Haiti
August 4 - San Domingo, Dominican Republic to Mexico City, Mexico
August 15 - Mexico City, Mexico to Denver, Colorado
Some of many goals we have:
-Teaching English
-Humanitarian Aid
-Drama Presentations
-Work Projects
-Children's Ministry
-Prayer Walk
-Street Evangelism
-Discipleship in basic Christian Principles
-Preaching and Teaching in Schools, Churches, etc.
-Loving people who maybe for the first time experiencing Christ's love
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PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Safety as we travel. That our baggage would not get misplaced at any point.
-That each of our eyes and hearts will be open to divine interventions God has in store for us along the way.
-Our openness to God’s strength and not depending on our own strength. For the flow of the Holy Spirit: our sensitivity to God speaking and leading us.
-Binding the enemy of any foot holds with the authority that has been given to us in Jesus.
-For unity throughout our team. I have felt very strongly when praying even before coming to DTS that our team will be the Body of Christ to people who have never seen the Body of Christ, we will be light to people who have not yet seen light.
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MY HEART:
Please continue to pray. I hit a wall of Spiritual warfare at one point over the last few weeks and it was tough. It is cool though, if I look at it the way I am training myself to look at it, I'm being attacked! Rejoice! I'm bringing the heavenly realms of light to this dark pit where the enemy makes his home and breeding ground. I am overwhelmingly thankful for joy that comes from the Lord, like silver it is when dry and discouraged. I am thankful for strength that is like gold, I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength. I can get up in the morning and take every thought captive in Jesus' name because that is where the play ground or battle ground is, it’s in the mind. Satan has come to KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY. We are doing battle against such things. These things surround us and affect us DAILY. Again, that brings me back to how thankful I am for the strength that God breathes into us every second of the day when we trust in Him no matter the circumstances. Our inheritance is far greater than rubies; it is a life of peace, joy, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, when our Father is who we rest in. Everything is a choice, every sin begins with a thought, and everyone, everywhere is in the battle of Spiritual warfare...let’s fight for our inheritance! Let's fight for the Light who brings eternal life!Uniting with you in prayer and faith,
Jessica
“We are to come to the throne of grace with confidence. God does not want less of us. We are Christ’s bride. If a bride came to her groom on the wedding night and said, ‘“less of me, less of me, less of me,”’ the groom would be very disappointed saying, “I don’t want less of you, I want ALL of you my beloved.”
Dean Sherman
Dean Sherman
Beloved, you are the bride of Christ… Unselfishly give ALL of yourself to the Lover of your soul for the furthering of the Kingdom, for the Lover of your soul is also the King of kings.
