On to War!!

Picture this scenario:

You wake up from a long, hard sleep and find yourself laying on the floor in a prison cell that resembles a dungeon. You realize that you’re shivering and every breath releases a cloud of vapor into the air while the darkness surrounding you starts to feel heavy on your shoulders. You have no idea where you are or how you got there. As your eyes begin to adjust you look around franticly but all you see are old, charred cement walls and a bolted shut door in the corner. A shiver runs down your spine and sends chills through you that penetrate to the bone. A sweat breaks out and you start pacing, and panting, trying to find a way out. Panic strikes you to your very core as the bitter realization hits you…you’re entirely alone with no hope of escape.  

Can you imagine what emotions you would start to have at this point? You’d probably feel helpless, confused, a loss of control, angry, depressed. The following, “Why am I here?”, “What did I do to deserve this?”, “Why is this happening to me?”, “Is this forever?”, “I give up.”, and “There’s no hope.” would probably be more than frequent thoughts running through your mind and before long you would find yourself held captive to yourself in a self-destructive pattern of negative thinking with the spirit of apathy creeping into your life.

How many times do we feel this in our own day-to-day lives? How many times do those same thoughts and emotions affect our daily attitude and actions and how we view ourselves and those around us? As we go through this thing called life, it’s no doubt that there always seems to be something trying to knock us down. Whether it’s getting fired from a job, a best friend stabbing you in the back, an offense, a sickness, a divorce or even a death, many times it seems like its one thing after another. We may also feel we are being held captive to certain thoughts, emotions, actions or behaviors with no means of escape and no hope of ever changing.

Because of everything we live through and experience, we get caught as the victim in many situations, most of the time without choice. Resulting, many people come to have a “victim’s mentality”.

Let me share some of my story with you. In about 2 months I will be 20 years old (crazy!). Throughout this time I’ve lived through a divorce, death of a sibling, depression, and that’s not even the beginning of it. It’s almost reasonable that I would consider myself a victim, right? A victim of life, a victim of reason, a victim of purpose. I never really thought I was at fault; instead I just blamed everything on everyone else, mostly unintentionally. It wasn’t until the past couple of years I realized I had a victim’s mentality and it wasn’t the right mindset to have. Why? It’s like John W. Gardner says, “Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.”  

The dictionary states that a victim is a person who suffers from destructive or injurious action or agency, a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency. Another definition is an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse (difficult) circumstance.

So a person with a victim’s mentality is in the constant state of thinking they live unpleasant lives and their circumstances are never ending and that all the future holds is anguish and tension that will never cease. They blame all of their problems, all of their strife’s and troubles that is going on in their world on others. They usually make little or no effort to change themselves but are quick to judge how others should live their lives to better their situation. Do you know anyone like this? Can you honestly say whether or not you have fallen prey to this appealing yet dangerous cycle? As time passes by the person with the victim’s mentality actually becomes a victim themselves because they start becoming bitter, angry, unforgiving, unable to move forward, depressed and many begin developing a heart of stone whose love has grown cold.

 For the longest time I didn’t really know how to get past this. How was I supposed to grow, how was I supposed to live, not as a victim, but as a victor?

The answer was laid right before me:

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”

1 Corinthians 15:57

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

In ALL things we already have victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. We have victory in our families, in our jobs, in our relationships, in our problems, in our day-to-day lives. How? Because in this seemingly never-ending battle between good and evil, God and Satan, we already know who wins…God! And if you have given your life to Christ you become a child of God and as children of God (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26), everything that belongs to Him belongs to us. So this means that the victory is ours as well! How exciting is that?!

An old hymn comes to mind when I think about our victory in Christ. In fact, the title is Victory in Jesus! Here’s the chorus:

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

When Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood for us, he triumphed over sin and over the Devil. When we accept Christ into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, we have a hope and a peace in us that was inexistent before. He gives us a peace and a joy that, despite any situation we could ever go through, we have a knowing and an understanding that everything with work out for our good (Roman 8:28).

As Christians, we are called to live to a higher standard. We are also called to live by example because, whether we know it or not, people are constantly watching us. With this being said, live a life that reflects Christ and what he’s done in your life. Has he saved you or not? Has he given you freedom or not? Has he done anything in your life? If so, then show it! In the same way, live lives filled with victory!

Check out these things that I believe will help you in your path to living more of a victorious life:

·         Be grateful for things in your life.

o   Think and reflect on all the blessings in your life that you’ve been given. Instead of concentrating on things that you wish could be different, wish you could change or redo, the negative aspects, etc. think of the opposite. Have an optimistic attitude about your life and those around you. I promise you that when you start looking at the glass as being half full and when you strive to be in a constant state of thankfulness, things will start changing for you.

·         Think someone has it worse and is there a hidden opportunity in this.

o   Piggybacking on the point above, remember this: despite what you may believe, there are people in this world who have it worse than you do so always be thankful for the life you’ve been given. Compare your situation to the worst possible circumstance you can think of and be thankful it’s not you without looking down on those individuals. With that in mind, always be keeping people around you and in the world in prayer because you never know what hand they’ve been dealt.  

o   Also, there may be a hidden opportunity in this. Maybe a new friendship or a situation that requires you to grow in leadership and compassion. You may end up helping a person in need or showing someone the love of Christ. Someone may look into your situation and admire the strength you’re displaying. In every situation ask God, “Lord, what can I learn from this? What can I get out of this? How can You use me in this? How can I glorify You?” and watch Him answer your prayers.

·         Think more about how to solve a problem than focusing on why you’re in it.

o   If you noticed that a house was on fire and there was a child screaming for help inside, what would you do first: wonder how you can get that child out of there or question why the house was on fire in the first place? Your natural reaction should, hopefully, be to rescue that little kid. Same with your circumstances and things you go through in your life. Instead of always wondering why that happened or why this is taking place think about how you can get through it, how you can better the situation, and work to the best of your ability to see it happen. This doesn’t always mean everything will work out the way you planned but you can be sure that God’s hand is on your life and He is constantly watching over you.

I pray that in reading this it has helped you in some way or another. I pray that you will start or continue to live a life of VICTORY, not defeat. I pray strength and wisdom in your life and that you will be a lamp on a hill and salt to this earth. Never give up, never stop fighting! Remember, Christ has already won the battle! :)

And I Love College; Missio Dei hits the college campus

[def] College- An institution of higher learning created to educate and grant degrees.

[def] College- A place of change. A place of new beginnings. A place of dreams. A place of new-found freedom. A place of responsibility. A place of revelation. A place of belonging.

College. It's something I can't say I've personally experienced. On May 28th, 2010 I finally graduated High School and continued wondering the same question many graduated seniors do: What now? Where do I go from here?

For many the answer is, naturally, college. For some, a military career of some sort. For some others, they'd rather not pursue any higher education past what is required.

For me, college was the immediate option until I made the decision to surrender my life to God and to live like Jesus lived. I knew God was calling me to be a missionary and to, one day, journey to Africa and spread the gospel and His love. As many people started their college education, and as many returned to it, I started my second year at Mission of God Ministries School of Missions and Evangelism in Macon, GA. Though I never once regretted my decision of joining the Missio Dei team, I would find myself sometimes wondering what college was like. Was it all that I imagined? Was it like what my friends and family had told me? Or was it anything like in the movies? I was curious.

For a well-spent period of time in my 2 years as a journeyman, I received a glimpse of the college life. On September 9. 2011 our team returned from our second college campus of the year. The first was the Columbus State University. I, personally, didn't go on this trip because I was at home for a time of much needed rest along with Casey and Kyle. Each trip resulted in a huge success. "What do you do on these college campuses?" you ask. Well, let me tell you!

Chi Alpha is a network of campus ministries all over the world. The name Chi Alpha is Greek for Christ Ambassadors and originates from 2 Corinthians 5:20. It's an amazing ministry where college students everywhere can really find out who they are and become connected with God. For every college campus we go to we have the privilege of partnering with these ministries. Our goal is to get as many people connected with and aware of Chi Alpha on campus as possible. But that's not all we do! (For more information about Chi Alpha visit the website: http://www.chialpha.com/ )

Seeing as we attend a school of Missions and Evangelism, it wouldn't make sense if we didn't go out and evangelize right? While on the college campus we also go out in pairs of 2 and 3 and go talk to students about religion, God, beliefs and the like. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone. This was definitely a challenging experience for all of us, especially the first years who have never had to do something like this before. Even I, a second year, still get nervous from time to time. But it's also such a rewarding experience. Many times, we think too much about what we're going to say and how we're going to say it, what if I look funny or what are they going to think. Instead, why not concentrate on just loving the person, getting to know the person, building a friendship. I've come to realize that everything flows so much more naturally this way and the conversation is about much more than getting a point across.

For 3 days, September 6-8th, Missio Dei returned to The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Last year we were able to stay for about 3 weeks. Though our time on campus this year was greatly shortened compared to our previous visit, it was such a joy doing ministry there and seeing familiar faces again.

Our focus this year, besides the obvious telling people about Jesus and Chi Alpha, centered around a concert that this Chi Alpha had planned on campus. Skyhook is an alternative Christian rock band originating from Nashville, TN.
(http://www.skyhooktheband.com/Skyhook/Skyhook.html) This particular band performs across the whole nation whether it's playing worship or a venue somewhere. They are an incredibly talented group of youth men and it was an awesome experience to see them in concert at UT.

Throughout our 3 days being on campus, we passed out thousands and thousands of these flyers inviting students to come out to the concert. When we weren’t passing out flyers we were partnered up evangelizing to the people around us. I, personally, had three amazing encounters.

My first conversation I was with Abby and a student named Robby who the Missio Dei team met last year. We were all nervous and looked a little awkward and confused walking around looking for someone to talk to. When we finally gathered the courage to do something, we came across a senior named Max who was comfortably reading Lord of the Rings outside in the grass. To make a long story short, every minute of that conversation was such a blessing. It was my first time fully sharing the gospel with an unbeliever, explaining all the way back to Adam and Eve. Abby and Robby got the chance to share life experiences to relate with Max and he was more than receptive to everything we had to say. Altogether, an unexpected friendship formed right before our eyes. We left the conversation confident that it was ordained by God and fully aware of His presence among us.

My second and third encounters were similar with minor differences here and there but all in all still very amazing and I know everyone else on the team has a great story to tell regarding the same thing.

When Thursday, the day of the concert, finally rolled around we had high hopes and expectations that God was going to move on this campus. With much planning and preparation we started setting up in the Presidential Courtyard, a spot on campus where thousands of students walk through every day.

Though not as many people as we expected showed up, we still had an amazing outcome! Skyhook did a phenomenal job playing music to get the crowd pumped and drawn in and then Jackie, one of the Chi Alpha leaders came up and shared the gospel in front of the people, right on the courtyard! People were really open and receptive to what she had to say and after she finished the band went into some songs of worship.

It was an amazing to see the Chi Alpha members, who many of them were so unfamiliar to sharing their faith, displaying it for all to see. They were unashamed in their worship to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Galatians 1:10 says that we are not here to please people, but God. This was a perfect illustration of what we saw in that moment. It was also incredible seeing the difference of the atmosphere of the beginning and ending of the concert: in the beginning everyone was chattering, not really paying attention, moving around a lot. By the end almost every eye was facing forward, concentrated, it seemed not one person was talking and some people even started raising their hands and praising God themselves! The Lord was definitely touching lives at that moment and even after when people decided to join Chi Alpha and grow closer to God.

I want to end this post with one particular story of a young man whose life was changed for eternity. For the sake of confidentiality I'll say his name was Jeff. Last year our team encountered Jeff on campus and invited him out to a game of ultimate frisbee with us and the Chi Alpha team and anyone else who wanted to join. When he came as a freshman to college he was borderline Athiest. After encountering being around Christians and a positive atmosphere and of course the Holy Spirit ministering to Him in ways only He can, by the time our team left campus Jeff was in tears. He expressed that he felt and experienced that love and realized that maybe this whole Christianity was something he could check out. After long months of searching Jeff finally gave his life to Christ in the Spring of 2011. Praise God!!!!

None of the success stories that we share and experince would be possible without the support and prayers of our friends and family. So, on behalf of the whole team, thank you! You are partnering with us in impacting eternity and the Lord knows your and our needs and is faithful through it all. We trust the Lord is going to continue to move in great ways!

Thank you for reading this post, keep updated on what's going on and please keep us in your throughts and prayers!!

With love and excitement,

Sarah

I Will Go, Send Me; A Missio Dei update

So here we are, Missio Dei, year two! We kicked off the year on August 1st with a total of 12 Journeyman. There are 6 guys, 6 girls in comparison to last year's 5 guys and 2 girls. We're definitely growing!

It's been a month and a day, today, since we have started this year. For those who are unaware, I attend Missio Dei school of Missions and Evangelism. It's a 10 month long tour for young adults ages 18-25 and basically we travel the country spreading the gospel and love of God. We travel to different mission spots all over and even go on one overseas trip. We partner with different churches, outreaches, and other ministries in our mission to reach the lost and to impact eternity here on earth.

In our first month we've done quite a bit. We started off the year with our traditional bootcamp. We've also worked a few Levy events including PGA, a golf tournament, in Georgia and also a Falcons game at the Georgia Dome. Our first trip as a team was to Mobil, Alabama to partner with Pastor Justin at Orchard Assemblies of God. Pastor Mike preached a 4-day youth revival and we had the privilege of doing dramas and skits in the services, praying for people in the altar times and going to a local middle school to pass out free donuts and to invite the students to Wednesday service. It was an incredible first trip for the new and returning Journeyman! Here's a picture of the team at Orchard AG:

Last year one of the Journeyman, Jacob ,came up with the catch phrase of 5 loaves and 2 fish (Matthew 14:13-21) to symbolize the number of Journeyman. This year I thought about the 6 guys and 6 girls, which equals 12, and thought of the 12 disciples (Mark 3:13-15)! As Pastor Mike says, next year they should start believing in 72 people (Luke 10:1). I don't see it as too much of a far fetched idea.

Mark 16:15 says, "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" ('he' meaning Jesus). This is our purpose here at Missio Dei: to go out and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  

We have been given the incredible opportunity to encounter hundreds upon thousands of people. It's mere insanity to take advantage of the time we've been given and to waste it. Recently, the word "intentional" has been on my mind. In our life, be intentional. In our ministry, be intentional. In our time, be intentional. In our relationships, be intentional. In our whole LIVES, be intentional. That is my goal this year: to be intentional and to take every moment and use it to the glory of God. I don't want to look back at the end of the year with regret in my life and the words, "what if" on my lips. Instead I want to look back in complete awe on the all the works that the Lord did through me and the team.

I have high hopes and expectations this year; I truly am excited for all that God has planned for us. Be waiting to hear amazing stories and testimonies of the trips and people along these 10 months.

Just to help keep you updated:

Here's the website:
http://mymissionsjourney.com/

Here's the YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MissioDei01

Here's the Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=239159944539

and
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/146990748722748/


Thank you everyone for the continued prayer and support! Stay tuned!

Behind This Prison Cell

Door locked, chained up, key forgotten.

Hair pulled, fingers crossed, nails bitten.

Hope gone, defenses down, ever longing.

Energy drained, breath decreasing, overwhelming. 

Breathe...

Breathe...

Breathe...

Brokenhearted. Abandoned. Rejected.

Savior comes, victory holds, free at last.

Darkness shatters, love overcome, forgotten past.

Hands raised, hearts open, life laid down.

Glory shines, Kingship owned, He wears the crown.

Exhale. 

I AM FREE.