January DTS 2012

Some see a bunch of random young people.

some see a bunch of beautiful people.

I see warriors preparing for battle.

it is a war not between flesh and blood but between the evil powers, forces and authority.

It is a war that is constantly being fought even in this moment.

We are in that battle fighting not by might not by might or by power but by the living spirit.

We are not alone in this battle because we have an omnipresent father, that is with us and never leaves us.

We are protected by the armour of God, thus we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes that is readiness given by the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and lastly the Rhema word as a sword.

We get our help from the lord who made the heaven and the earth I am a warrior in this battle, I will rejoice in time of suffering because I know this is a winning battle.

We fight with a spirit who can overcome anything. We are winning this battle but not because of what we’ve done but because of what has been done on the cross for us. On the cross death was overcome, Satan was crunched and life was restored.

The bridge was restored and we have an open way to our father .

I am a warrior in this winning battle, willing to fight not by my power but by your power in me.

My friend, the leader of heavens armies are with me wherever I go and intercede for me.

That is the reason I live to see the will of God be done, to fight this ongoing battle.

We are winning.

As I sit here I am starting to regret somewhat taking up the task of writing a post on Holy Spirit week. You see, It’s difficult to write on something as complex and personal as the Holy Spirit! He is God after all… And God is still a beautiful mystery to me. The Spirit of the Lord is really something you should experience and not read about.

However, I will try share some of the crazy experiences we had and how God revealed Himself even more. One thing that stood out to me was just how the Holy Spirit manifests differently and personally for each individual. This week we got an intense dose of the Holy Spirit and people reacted in varying ways. Personally, this week was a real challenge for me as I felt the Lord was uprooting a lot of deeply buried hurt in my life.

My encounter with the Holy Spirit was a very emotional and painful one. My spirit was in a grieving state, but as I made myself vulnerable before the Lord, He did not let me down. This week we really expelled the fear of man that was present in many of our lives. If someone was to come into the DTS classroom on Wednesday night they would have thought we were all drunk.

And we were drunk, drunk in the Spirit! Some people were laughing hysterically together as the joy of the Lord overwhelmed them, while others (such as myself) were crying from a deep and agonizing place and others were writhing on the floor, giving birth to some serious spiritual babies. Holy Spirit week left me with a greater understanding on just on how gentle God’s Spirit is. He will never force you into something you aren’t ready to take on and He is always super sensitive to where you are and what you need. Although this week was a challenge for me, I have never been so aware of God’s presence before. I could physically feel the thickness of His being and how closely He was holding me.

Although the baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn’t give us more of God, it certainly makes us more conscious of Him. The Holy Spirit is our counsellor, teacher, reminder. He testifies truth, convicts the world of sin, and reveals Jesus to us.

By Emma from South Africa

Never felt like going to ANY country in the world and reach the lost? After this week on God’s heart for the Last, the Lost and the Least, many of us can’t wait to go on Outreach. Edwin Fillies’ passion for the nations was so contagious. If we want to have a long-lasting passion that makes us go to the nations, we need to have an encounter with the love of God. It’s God’s desire to reach ALL nations and EVERY creature. Therefore we shouldn’t just be filled with what God is giving us but we should allow God to bless others through us. 42 % of the 7 billion people on earth are non-Christians but with access to the gospel and there are still 25 % that have never heard about the gospel. That’s why he gave us talents, gifts and dreams – to go out and reach the nations.

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 2:8

If God wants to gives us the nations, why on earth are we still asking for small things, like iPods?!? His plans are greater and he wants to give us more than we can ever imagine. It’s up to us to decide if we want to live up to our full potential.

It’s a matter of attitude: Are we willing to give a down payment for our/God’s dream? Are we willing to take a risk in faith and trust God? Are we willing to let the dirt come out in order for Jesus to bring out the gold in us? Are we willing to work hard, to be trained and to develop a discipline in our lives? Do we have a desire to give? Are we ready to give up our comfort and help others with what they cannot do on their own?

That’s what it means to be a missionary. The combination of our dream and the right attitude make us the person who makes a difference in the world, who can impact many people and who lives up to the full potential. To look away from ourselves and focus on other people needs will fill us with complete joy!

This week was just so inspiring to sit down and study his word and get prepared for our calling. The best thing is, EVERYONE can fulfill God’s dream for the nations, because he is not calling the anointed but he is anointing the called. -> DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFECT OF YOUR OWN TESTIMONY!

By Debbie from Germany