An invitation to you!
But let me first tell you!
I have finally been to Namaqualand, and that in the correct month!
So, where and what is Namaqualand? It is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over 1,000 kilometers (600 mi) and covering a total area of 440,000 square kilometers (170,000 sq mi). It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions – Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the north.
It was a great privilege to celebrate mom and dad's 45th by hitting the road to the land of flowers during the auspicious month of August. They were blessed by a good old friend and I was lucky enough to tag along (mostly to open rusty farm gates for the oldies!)
Well done Mom & Dad for sticking it out! You have shown this generation that marriage is still sacred and it is possible to stay one! I appreciate it so much.
"It will be a new day for us when we put away false notions and foolish fears and allow the Holy Spirit to fellowship with us as intimately as He wants to do, to talk to us as Christ talked to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. After that there can be no more loneliness only the glory of the never-failing Presence. A.W. Tozer
I have been counseling children and couples online the last few weeks. I so appreciate the quote from Tozer above. It is a very deep truth that few really enjoy. I had incredible breakthrough with one of the kids. After another 90 minute session today with a couple in trouble, I realized something afresh.
To say 'I cannot forgive myself' is to rob myself of the wonderful freedom in Christ that comes from his invitation through conviction to me.
INVITATION
Dear family, friends & sponsors
YWAM will be praying together this month of September. Many of us will gather, fast and pray 1, 2 & 3 September.
As the invitation to us from the Global Prayer Initiative stated:
"God has positioned us across the nations through the past 60 years in an extraordinary way. Despite current circumstances, doors are open to us everywhere both physically where we are and online.
The Holy Spirit has continually been speaking to us as YWAM over the past decade to prepare for great harvest, multiplication and meeting the needs of multitudes. We are grateful for those who have initiated prayer on social media platforms during this time. May this continue and multiply as the Holy Spirit leads in diverse ways and forms across the world so eventually, we have every time zone continually covered in 24/7 prayer.
We believe this is a season of global intercession for us to align and deepen our understanding of God and His Character and to receive fresh assignments and anointing for the days ahead.
The Founders Circle elders together with other YWAM senior elders across the world have sensed an urgency for a global time of prayer with fasting.
Would you join us?
YWAM will follow suggested guidelines named
REMEMBER - REPENT - REALIGN - RELEASE
Not a YWAM'er?
I invite you and your church, to join as 20 000+ Missionaries come together in prayer in nearly every nation on this planet.
- Pray for them that they will HEAR GOD clearly.
- I invite you to pray with zeal for the missionary you support. Don't know what to pray?
Ephesians 1 is a good place to start!
- I ask that, seeing that you are on my newsletter, that you will pray for me too.
As you know, much changed for me in the recent past. With the fact that I cannot go back to Thailand, and lets throw in Covid for a moment too - it is change all the time. I know that Stilbaai is the correct place in this COVID season. I am working on a project and it REALLY helps to be here while doing it (online).
- Pray that we RE-TAP into the Missions Heart of God as we seek His face together for the sake of the world and how we can play a part in the great commission to make disciples of all nations. May God confirm your call. May you hear Him speak with great clarity as He perhaps reveal NEW THINGS in this NEW SEASON seeing that we as a global church have entered a new era in our generation.
Most of you know, I try to read through the Bible every 60 days but got stuck in Haggai this week! In 1:7
- We are asked to "give careful thought to your ways" In some sense we should put time aside to sit and think, to ponder! This is sometimes harder than it sounds.
- We are encouraged in 2:5 that "My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear"
- We are reminded that what we are not holy and consecrated by merely 'working for church, or being a missionary' (2:12). We must live holy, separated lives.
- God specifically gave me 2:8 "In this place I will give peace" (my time in Stilbaai)
When it comes to YWAM, two things stood out to me. Haggai 2:3 - I am so glad we are called to prayer and fasting. I know the YWAM of 24 years ago. I know the YWAM as it is today. Much have changed. I do believe there is a groaning in the Spirit - there is something going on. I feel it so strong. I also know our common enemy hates YWAM and will come with many deceptive tricks - we really need discernment in this time!
"Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Yet now, be strong... and work, for I am with you" Haggai 2:3
When God groans, He wants to shake a grave and open it. When God groans He wants to move in miraculous ways. When God groans, it is because He sees Peter on the other side of the boat catching 153 fish instead of nothing all night. I know God is groaning because He promised YWAM a wave like non before!
The other point that stood out to me, and caused me to ponder and journal about myself for a while was Haggai 1:3. It is a question that I had to answer for myself: "IS IT TIME TO..."
I asked myself
- WHAT TIME AM I IN?
Do I know the time?
Do I recognize the season,
especially the massive shift that just took place globally?
Will I consider xyz ?
Haggai called the nation to consider - and then to GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN - to be PROACTIVE.
Join us in prayer
YWAM WILL FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING "RRRR"
REPENT: As members of the Body of Christ called to serve in a specific place (village, city, nation, or sphere) listen to the heart/groans of the Spirit. Listen for an invitation to identify with the suffering and respond in lament. (2 Chronicles 7:14-16; Nehemiah 1 & 9; Romans 8:15-30) Listen for an invitation to identify with the sins of the people, repent and cry out for mercy. We invite you to spend time throughout, inviting God to reveal more of his character/heart (Exodus 34:6,7) and to teach us his ways.
REMEMBER: Just as Paul exhorted Timothy, “I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well” (1 Tim 1:18) we invite you to remember (recall) the covenants, prophetic words and assignments God has given to your team corporately or to you personally in your journey of faith, when he called you to be faithful to Him and serve him in specific ways to fulfill his purposes on the earth.
REALIGN: Likewise there may be prophetic words, covenants and assignments for your people, city or nation which you remember and can realign with. God has called YWAM, as a stream within the Body of Christ, and He has given us specific assignments to do our part in partnering with Jesus to fulfill his purposes. These have been recorded in our foundational vision, values, and legacy words.
RELEASE:
God is inviting us to present ourselves personally and together to receive a fresh impartation of faith, hope and anointing for this new season. Consider God’s invitation to you (team or personal). This is a time to agree with God with bold prayers and commitment to action in nations like never before.
We invite you to ask God to affirm and expand/ deepen ministries assignments that are to continue and ask for a “double portion” of anointing along with a greater ability to do God’s work in ways that express his character.
We invite you to ask God for a fresh assignment, something new, in light of the burden God carries for a people/nation/circumstance that has come to your attention. Ask for a “double portion” of anointing along with a greater ability to do God’s work in ways that express his character.
A few more pictures that I took the past 6 days.
South Africa is most beautiful.
May God answer us as we come together around the globe
May He feed us as we choose to fast
May He speak as we choose silence
May He move as we choose to wait
May we fear the presence of the Lord (Hagg1:12) as He visits us
May the Lord STIR us up as he did Zerubbabel because His Spirit is with us.
May the King of Glory be magnificently glorified through our action to seek His face.