Newsletter - Changing Wordlviews via DTS
Hi, from Potch.
It is amazingly
warm here and swimming is sometimes a necessity. We are in the break of the discipleship
training school (DTS) and we are smack bang in the middle of the DTS. What a
great time we had so far!
For us it is an ever increasing
learning phase and we are thankful for all the things we have learned in the
first DTS. In this DTS I am really stretched for faith. We need to get about
260 thousand rand to have everybody going to the islands on international
outreach. We are in the process of fundraising for those that doesn’t have the
funds, which are the most. Also we have a huge increase as we rent another
house in the month of January. But because God has been faithful we have
decided to obey God and go bigger. But it does require more faith!
A
battle of worldviews
I have been following the news
around the different terror attacks in the Middle East and have seen how people
from Western countries go to Syria to fight for an Islamic state!
In the end a person’s values and
principles will be the guiding factor in life. First there is a struggle to
survive. After that struggle is overcome a person will be confronted with what
will be the guiding factors and decisions in their life. Let us look at three
primary worldviews that is prevalent today.
A
legalistic worldview:
As people grow older and are
confronted with the problem of conscience they have a few choices. One is to
give in to the temptation, the other is to try and resist these temptations by
all kinds of laws and regulations and the other is to accept what Jesus did at
the cross and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Islam is about 1.3 billion people
today. It is primarily driven by the view that we can live holy lives by law
and if people do not abide by these laws there is very harsh consequences. This
can lead to honor killings, jihad and all kinds of severe consequences for not
living according to a set of rules. For those living according to these laws it
really seems honorable to obey these laws and the harsh punishment also seems
just. Even to kill people not living according to these laws seems good to the
upholders of these laws. But who makes these laws? Who enforces these laws in
the name of God? It comes to place of madness where everybody upholds a
different set of laws and self-righteously everybody is warring against the
other.
Sadly there is many Christians
living by Christian laws giving birth to different denominations with different
laws.
A
hedonistic worldview: Pleasure and money rules
For these people making money is
the most important. It is a very selfish lifestyle where I do what I want and I
allow others what they want. As such a person follows their desires they become
increasingly sinful and hard-hearted. There is no compassion but at least there
is no war. This lifestyle is very much promoted by Hollywood. People can do
anything in the name of freedom, say anything and act in any way. The problem
is people become directionless, alone, far from God and with a huge emptiness
as they are taken captive by all kinds of sinful desires. In the end such cultures
rot from the inside and gives birth to directionless children.
Unfortunately many Christians are
led by money and pleasure and then use laws to live morally on the outside and
to save face. Then God doesn’t rule but money and pleasure rules with a bit of
morality around the edges.
A
true Christian worldview
Today there is about 2.2 billion
Christians in name. But what does a true Christian look like?
True Christians are those who
live in freedom and also in obedience to God. If somebody strays there is the
blood of Jesus that cleanses their conscience. It is life obedient to a loving
God.
For those that doesn’t know this
God it seems like bondage. For the legalistic people their God is a god of
death that judges people extremely harshly for the smallest things. The
hedonistic people do not believe in God but if He exists they are afraid
because of the bad things they have done.
In the end a life of obedience to
God is only free because of the character of God. A loving, creative, wise and
compassionate God that wants our best is easy to obey. This is the truth about
God.
Very few people today live a
truly devoted life to the right God. There is many Christians but few disciples
of Jesus.
The
power of a discipleship training school (DTS)
When you spend three months in the presence of
God coming to know the real God, it sets people free in many dimensions. We
have seen the power of different speakers from different cultural backgrounds
ministering out of their knowledge of who God really is. As all speakers live
by faith and the voice of God they have first-hand accounts of a personal life
with God.
Afterwards, in the outreach
phase, to go and testify about God for two months is challenging and also an
adventure in coming to know God first hand themselves. What a marvellous,
challenging journey!
We have about 11 students, please
pray with us for them!
Please keep
us updated about your new year’s plans, prayer topics and
let us know if you need prophetic words.
Wikus ,
Christien, Job, Andrea, Jonathan, Elandri and Josua.
CONTACT
US!
Phone: Wikus 084 5490914 Christien 082 9666753
Address: Parys Ave 60 Potchefstroom 2531
YWAM house: Esselen Street 6 Bult, Potchefstroom
Email: ywampotch @gmail.com
PHOTOS - visit our FaceBook pages: Ywam Potchefstroom / WikusChristien Vorster
Account details: Potch Abundant Life Ministries
912 0458 116 Savings acc ABSA, Steve Biko Str.
Website: ywampotch.com
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