Pruned from the Fruit to Gaze Upon the Vine

Our Great Friend Kenny Peavy Gives Us this Special Devotional Message as We Learn to Pivot in this Crazy Season

Pruning Shears by L O R A via Unsplash

First, and foremost dear ones, I bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Your fearless leader and my dear friend, Craig McClurg asked me to pray and share a word I sense God wanting to give to you. As I seek God to fill my heart and mind with His word for you, He has overwhelmed me with His love for each of you around the world. I am compelled by Father God to share with you that you are so special to His heart. You belong to Him (1 John 4:4), He loves you (Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:16) You have not been forgotten, and you are never ever forsaken, and He knows exactly what His plans are for you. (Jeremiah 29:10-14). He is for you. His face does shine upon you. He sees you, and hears and knows you and adores you, you are His beloved children. Better yet, He is with you. He has promised us over and over that He will be with you (Isaiah 41:10, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20), and even better yet, He has seen fit to dwell within you (John 14:23, 1 Cor. 3:16) He will quiet the fear, the worry, the anxiety, the not knowing, at once, with His Love (Zephaniah 3:17). He will give us eyes to see from Heaven’s perspective (Eph. 2:6, 1 Cor. 2:10-16). So in this hour, with the story of Corona Virus and its affects all around us, how do we rise up above such a story to once again partake in His victory over us, in us, and through us? How do we partake in His story mentioned above? 

Let Him Do It All the Way His Way

It is out of His great Love that He prunes you to rescue you, to remind you, to revive you, to simplify you, to purify you, to set you free, unto the return of your first love.  Let Him do it, all the way, His way. For He has always been your Reward. The fruit on the tree was never what made us worth His love, or their support, whoever they are. It was never what legitimized us as missionaries. Jesus was always the Reward before the fruit ever became important. In this season of pruning, let God shake you out of any daily routine other than one that reinforces intimacy with Him (Hebrews 12:27-30). Let Him do it, all the way His way. Second, let Father God prune you from the fruit. What is coming is amazing! It is better! He already knows what it is. He is the Author and Perfecter of it. Let Him do it, all the way, His way. Third, let Him lead you to the surrender in your heart, that you may enter that secret place filled with His grace and mercy. He has done it all to bring us to such a place of intimacy with Him. It is here, with the world’s story all around us that we can finally just gazeupon the Vine once again.  It is in this place that all things become new, again. It is in this place that the Vinedresser removes all that subtly made our relationship with Christ conditional. It is here that Father God reintroduces us to the Vine, and the Vine shows us the conditions of our hearts. He fills us with His presence and His perfect Love heals that which has been broken in us, and He returns us to our first love. Let Him do it, all the way, His way. He restores that which has been broken. He renews a fresh fire within us. He reminds us of what was forgotten. He makes all things new. He releases the fullness of His affections for us, throughout our very beings, and we are free from it all. Let Him do it all, His way, all the way. It is in this place that our full trust in Him has been restored. It is in this place where intimacy is reborn. Our assurance of the mighty Savior of the world is made new, again. It is here that he reveals the strategies on His mind with us, and with wisdom for the revelation (Ephesians 1:17-20), we understand the Word of the Lord for this hour! It is in this place that we begin to Remember the faithfulness of His goodness as evidenced by our own personal testimonies, and we come back to that beautiful place where we are really free to worship Him with childlike hearts again. Freedom is fun y’all! 

Beloved, in this hour, take your pain, your questions, your desperation, your anxiety, your everything, and throw yourself on the alter, and praise Him like you did when there was no ministry, no family, no spouse, no idea of your big vast future out in front of you; just Jesus, His Cross, His Blood, and your salvation. Worship Him. It is when we worship Him with such an abandon that we lean and fall onto Him and not on our own understandings (Proverbs 3:5). It is then that we can see Him, hear Him, feel Him, understand Him, align with Him, abide with Him, and in His presence choose to remain in His Love (John 15:4). It is here, in this place, that we can know and apply HIS story into the one we see unfolding before us. 

In closing, Psalm 40:1-3 says, “…I waited…He turned…He heard…He lifted me out…He set my feet…He gave me…He put a new song in my mouth…many will see and fear the Lord and out their trust in Him.” This is the essence of His pruning in our lives. Our simple first love is our only love, and greater fruit is produced from the experience.

Application

Take the next 20 minutes and remember the goodness of God in your life. Respond with absolute personal expression of thanksgiving (for what He has done) and praise (for who He is). Write down what God speaks to you or reveals to you. Start there. Do it again tomorrow morning, and tomorrow night. Practice being in the presence of the One Who’s presence lives within you. I have included three worship songs to serve you in your worship. I worshiped God with these when I was praying for this letter to you. He was always there, He is with you right now, and He will always be with you, guiding you through every single circumstance. Let Him prune you in this season from the fruit, that you may gaze upon the beauty of Vine. His new fruit He will produce from His pruning process in you, your family, and your ministry, will be greater than ever before (Haggai 2:9). 

• The Blessing 

• Goodness Of God

• Do It Again

Kenny Peavy

What's That in Your Hand?

Wednesday Night in Durres, Albania

by Kimberly Sullivan

Photo: Kira auf der Heide via Unsplash

It had been another long day of brainstorming, discussing and narrowing down ideas only to find ourselves going along a different line of thought that would then require more brainstorming and discussion. Was it “interrupt”? Was it “waves”? Was it “static”? But after three days, we had an idea emerging. It was a strong one. It was a surprising one, but the idea was definitely there. We took the night to think about it, to see how the ideas settled, and then came back the next morning pretty confident that we had found our theme for 2020.

“Instead of just a theme for the summer, this feels like The Theme for everyone…”

From the moment we started looking at “Disrupt,” we all knew it was going to be a big Theme with much to unpack during sessions. Back in November, none of us could have even guessed how accurate and timely “Disrupt” would become over the next months. Our lives, ministries, and rhythms of life have literally been disrupted by the coronavirus. Globally, humanity is reeling at the changes that have happened so quickly and so unexpectedly. There is uncertainty, grief, fear, and doubt as well as physical changes in the structure of society that is causing a disruption to our definition of normalcy. “Disrupt” no longer feels like it is a theme just for the summer or just for the young people of Europe; it feels much broader than that. It is more like it is The Theme for every age and every continent in this current time.

We had hoped this summer would be one of us encouraging the youth of Europe to disrupt the noise, busyness, and turbulence of the world around them by speaking life and reflecting God’s light. We were going to be looking at Exodus 3 and 4 when God calls to Moses from the burning bush and shows him that he has everything he needs already, he just needs to use it and to trust God. But now, at this point in time, many of us MA Europe leaders are wondering if we’ll have the chance to do that in the structures and formats we have become accustomed to with our Mission Adventures programmes.

One of the questions we were going to be asking our youth this summer was “What’s in your hand?” This question comes out of Exodus 4:1-5 where Moses queries God wanting to raise him up as a leader for the Israelites. Moses only sees impossibility because of his personal weaknesses and insecurities. In response to Moses’s uncertainties, God asks Moses what he has in his hand. Where Moses sees impossibility, God knows that a way can be made. All Moses has in his hand is his shepherd’s staff, but this simple staff becomes so much more. It becomes both a symbol of God’s power and of Moses’ God-given authority to lead the people of Israel.

“What do you have that you can use for the glory of God?”

What is in your hand? This is now our question as a Mission Adventures network. Things for MA this summer may seem uncertain or impossible, but what do you have that you can use for the glory of God? How can you still be reaching out to and engaging with the youth who would have been coming this summer? What does God have for them in the middle of this disruption? We have a calling to the young people of our nations whether we are in lockdown and social distancing or not; calling doesn’t change even if our situations do. How can Mission Adventures still be a part of what God is doing in the nations, even if we are physically not able to go to the nations?

Don’t let this disruption to “normal life” go by unheeded. Let God disrupt your normal rhythms with Mission Adventures. Think. Dream. Innovate. Push yourself and your programmes beyond the box. Join in with what God is doing right now and use what is in your hand.

Shakin’, Waitin’, and Facin’ the Impossible

From Hebrews 12, to Psalm 40, to Exodus 4

Bible by Rod Long via Unsplash

Finding a Way Forward by Going Backwards through the Bible

Shaking

In Hebrews 12:26-30 it says this:

The earth was rocked at the sound of his voice from the mountain, [that is Mount Sinai– Ed.] but now he has promised,

“Once and for all I will not only shake the systems of the world,

but also the unseen powers in the heavenly realm!”

Now this phrase “once and for all” clearly indicates the final removal of things that are shaking, that is, the old order, so only what is unshakeable will remain. Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakeable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe. For our God is a holy, devouring fire! (TPT)

These last months have felt like God is doing some shaking. The whole earth is feeling it. Nothing humans make can stand when God shakes the earth. Normal human systems, like international airline travel, are not really functioning.

This shaking has been described as a kind of pruning. Tom Bloomer, longtime YWAMer in Switzerland, had a strong impression of pruning back before this all started. Lynn Green of YWAM England posted it on his blog here. Do have a look at it, as it has resonated with so many YWAMers around the world. And there’s so much to be said about pruning, both in a corporate sense, like “Mission Adventures is being pruned by God”, but also in a personal sense, “I am being pruned by God”. Of course, the point of pruning is greater fruitfulness. It often does not feel pleasant, but it is certainly not punishment. This pruning is for future fruitfulness.

* * * * * * *

Waiting

Psalm 40 is one of my favorites— in part because of the U2 song— and yes, I am that old. The song lyric parallels the psalm and it goes like this:

I waited patiently for the Lord.

He inclined and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of the pit

Out of the miry clay.

I will sing, sing a new song.

I will sing, sing a new song.

How long to sing this song?

How long to sing this song?

How long, how long, how long

How long to sing this song?

I just love the idea of singing a new song… I went to a U2 concert, back when we could go to things like concerts. And it was special. They started their tour here in San Diego, and on that first night, the last song they played was this song 40. As they repeated the chorus again, the whole arena, 18,000 people, all sang it together. One by one, the band members walked off stage while the lights were still on. However, the crowed kept singing, repeating the chorus, “I will sing, sing a new song…” For more than two minutes, thousands of voices rang out with the words to this psalm. It was magical. For me it was a moment of public worship, and the presence of God was thick.

Singing a new song is just so YWAM isn’t it? One of the ways God has shaped our worldwide YWAM tribe is to do things in new ways. This is value number five—we’re visionary. We do new things. We do innovation. This is part of who we are as a mission. And today, in this season, I feel a calling, a subtle inner magnetism towards doing something new. 

But note the first part of that song: “I waited patiently for the Lord...” and, “He inclined and heard my cry”. These are direct quotes from Psalm 40. I feel like that’s what these last 40+ days have been about. It’s been a forced waiting. And it’s been a good waiting. God has been anything but silent since the world has stopped. He’s been speaking and speaking and speaking. It started with Tom Bloomer’s word, and it’s continued. He’s been calling us to himself and he’s asked us to wait patiently while he instructs us. I believe God is using this pandemic to prune our normal lives away, to limit us, so that we can only abide in him. And he’s let the floodgates loose of such good words to us. I’ve collected 8 (and counting) messages and put them all on this page here. 

1. Darlene reminded us that no matter what we face, God is always greater. And she reminded us to remain focused on calling young people to the great commission.

2. Jim Stier encouraged us that God can use even this pandemic to prepare people for His Kingdom. He challenged us to receive revelation directly from Jesus, like Paul wrote in Galatians 1:11-12.

3. Lynn Green gave us great insight into how to encourage young leaders around us, asking, “Are you going to be a Samuel or a Saul to the young Davids around you?”

4. John Dawson shared on Good Friday about how God is giving us an opportunity to learn to minister from a place of rest, instead of striving to get to a place of rest.

5. Danny Lehmann spoke on Psalm 16 and challenged us to reexamine our portion, our cup, and our lot. He warned us about counterfeit comforts, and encouraged us to instead to run to God for our comfort. 

6. Loren Cunningham greeted us from Hawaii and declared that AD 2020 is a year of breakthrough! He gave us a vision for a breakthrough in sabbatical, but also a breakthrough in the knowledge of God covering the earth. We also heard a powerful message from Pastor Jason King on the Prodigal son. Everyone who has heard it says it is a word for the whole mission.

7. Andy Byrd spoke clearly about God giving us a massive gift of change and reset. He inspired us to take advantage and ask God, “What do you want to change?”

8. Maureen Menard inspired us with the life of the apostle Paul. 

* * * * * * *

Facing the Impossible

Which brings us to Exodus. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush that wasn’t consumed. Curious, Moses approached and heard the Voice. In the presence of the Holy, Moses showed that he had no status here, and no holiness of his own. He took off his sandals. And in his conversation with I AM, Moses explained to God why facing the impossible wasn’t going to work:

Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’”

So God said, “What’s that in your hand?”

“A staff.”

“Throw it on the ground.” He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast!

God said to Moses, “Reach out and grab it by the tail.” He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again. “That’s so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 4:1-5 (The Message)

God asked something impossible of Moses. He said, “Go tell pharaoh... “ Moses tried to get out of it. There’s part of me that can’t believe Moses argued with God! Who does Moses think he is to tell God to send someone else? How do you encounter a burning bush, a holy presence, and hear a voice and then have the guts to say, “No.”? Yet, I realize this is me too. I am the same as Moses— too many times I have said no to God because I don’t think I can do it. 

So God asked Moses, “What do you have in your hand?” What a strange question. Obviously, he had a staff— a shepherd’s crook. He used it daily to support himself as he walked the miles. He used it to guide sheep, tapping and nudging them. He used it to whack predators. It was his tool. It was a symbol of his job, his status, and experience. It represented his skills and what he thought he was capable of doing. 

God told Moses to throw it down. What Moses had was not enough. He was going to need more. So he threw it down and the staff became a snake. This was a demonstration of God’s power. It was a kind of promise that God would be with him, and a foreshadowing of God doing it again in pharaoh’s throne room. God first asks Moses to do the impossible. Then he asks him to lay down his experience, his status symbol, his tools, and his skills. The new thing God was asking of Moses would require something more than a shepherd’s staff. It would require someone more than a shepherd. Sound familiar? Does this rhyme with your life right now?

It got worse. God asked him to pick up the snake. Gulp! This sounds dangerous. It’s a challenge, and like Moses, we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to do something, bold and daring when God asks. Moses obeyed and the serpent turned back into a staff. It wasn’t a shepherd’s staff any longer. It had become the prophet’s rod. At God’s command, Moses would raise this rod and seas would part. At God’s command, water would flow from a rock. Moses would lead his people out of Egypt with this tool. When he picked up the snake, he picked up a new anointing. He went from the keeper of sheep, to the prophet-leader of an entire people.

* * * * * * *

In many ways, this is us. We are going through a shaking. We have been waiting. And God has given us an impossible task. He’s called us to be missionaries in a time when there is no travel. He’s called us to be ministers, evangelists, and prophets in a place where we cannot be face-to-face. And yet, I have a sense that God is up to something. He’s called us to himself, he’s given us his word, and he’s awaiting our response. Maybe you’re holding on to your shepherd’s staff wondering if you can throw it down. Maybe you felt like you were barely qualified to lead a Mission Adventures ministry the old way. And maybe now it seems impossible to figure out how to do it in a new way. 

I say, throw down your staff. Throw down your experience. Throw down what you think you’re capable of. Witness the miracle and power of God. Pick it up. Pick up that prophet’s rod and rely on him to work the impossible through you! 

Safety First for Online Meetings

Let’s Rethink Safety for Students as We Go Online

I came across this post by Robert Showers, a lawyer here in the U.S. that has often advised YWAM on best practices. It’s a great reminder to create safety online, just like we do when we are face-to-face.Here’s a quote from Mr. Showers:

“The explosion of digital media and social media in the last decade is both a blessing and a curse for churches and ministries. It provides an instantaneous ability to communicate to your members, the local community, and the world at large. Conversely, it also may a temptation for individuals to make statements that are inappropriate, immoral, harassing, and potentially illegal because they think they are “invisible” behind the screen of their computer or smartphone. As to youth/children ministry online, social distancing has limited inappropriate physical contact but increased significantly inappropriate online communication leading to child abuse, especially in the “grooming process”.”

— Robert Showers, Esq.

I encourage you to read through the rest of the article, there’s lots of great stuff in there.

It's Time to Pivot

May Is A Month for Us to Refocus and Reimagine Our Ministries for These Coronavirus Times.

In a Time of Low Visibility We Need High Creativity

What crazy times we live in right now! It seems to me like the world has hit the pause button. For the last forty days, I’ve been reading, praying, and listening. Slowly, ideas and impressions have been forming in my heart. And I feel like now, this month of May, is a time for us to reimagine our ministries. Of course, I’m not quite sure what is going to happen in the next few months. But it’s unlikely that here in North America we will be able to travel or to host teams like we normally would. We may also be prevented from doing ministry face-to-face. Things have changed dramatically. 

BUT GOD HAS NOT CHANGED; HE IS NOT ON LOCKDOWN

God is not under a stay-at-home order, and he doesn’t have to wear a mask. He is at work accomplishing his purposes on the earth. And I think he’s inviting us to join him in his work in new ways. 

LET’S REIMAGINE MISSION ADVENTURES FOR OUR TIMES

I believe God is calling us to rethink our ministries. I think he’s saying to us, “Write down this vision.” I think he’s reminding us that we have a calling. I think he’s saying to us that he expects us to fulfill our calling. I think he’s extending his hand to us in invitation and saying, “Follow me.” 

“And then God answered: “Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.”

— Habakkuk 2:2 (MSG)

---

A ROADMAP FOR MAY

We Start with Questions: Let’s begin by asking ourselves some foundational questions. Let’s get in that place with God and examine our motivations and the fruitfulness we’ve enjoyed so far. We’ve developed a survey that you can use to awaken your vision. This isn’t an info-gathering survey. This is a gift-activating survey. It will only take fifteen minutes, and it’s designed to help you reimagine your ministry for these times. Soon we’ll compile everyone’s answers and post them here on the Insider.  

We Transition to Outcomes: Let’s examine the foundation of Mission Adventures. Let’s go back to the Word of the Lord that defines our Network. Let’s look at the MA Outcome Statement in light of our current circumstances. Let’s ask ourselves, “How can we still create outcomes like this, even if we can’t travel or be face-to-face?”

We Hear More Voices: Already, God is speaking through several of us in the Mission Adventures Network about how to respond. We’ll email weekly and we will create posts here on the Insider to inspire us and encourage us to be fruitful. Sign up on the Insider email list, and check this site often.

We Will Zoom-Storm: Plans are underway to enable us to work together to create meaningful and strategic ministries for our participants. We’ll gather online via Zoom to wait on the Lord, to brainstorm, and to reimagine Mission Adventures. We will repurpose our awesome themes for digital experiences. Dates and times are to be determined. Sign up below to be notified.

Finally, by the end of May, I believe we will begin to co-create with God. We’ll create tools, resources, and ministries based on what he’s been speaking to us. My hope is that we’ll be able to share what we make with each other in the Network, and that many students will be encouraged, challenged, and even changed. 

Critical Messages from Our Leaders in Crazy Corona Times

Each week, here in North America, YWAM leaders are gathering on Zoom. And each week we’ve been hearing some amazing messages from our founders and others. We’ve compiled them all here so you don’t have to hunt through the YouTubes to find them all. These messages are super significant for the whole Mission, and not just us in North America. And they are very applicable to us in Mission Adventures, and to us as followers of Jesus. So set aside some time, grab a notebook and your bible and go through these awesome messages.

Darlene Cunningham, March 20, 2020

Lynn Green Speaks with North American YWAM Leaders via Zoom on April 3, 2020

Danny Lehmann shares with YWAM North American leaders via Zoom on April 17, 2020

Andy Byrd shared with YWAM Leaders in North America via Zoom on May 1, 2020

Jim Stier Shares with YWAM Leaders in North America via Zoom on March 27, 2020

John Dawson speaks with YWAM Leaders in North America via Zoom on April 10, 2020

Loren Cunningham Shares with YWAM Leaders in North American via Zoom on April 24, 2020. Includes special guest Pastor Jason King.

Maureen Menard spoke to YWAM Leaders in North America via Zoom on May 8, 2020

Doorknob Decisions

This Week Kay Charlotte Brings an Encouragement to Fight Entitlement

Do Not Disturb by Visuals via Unsplash

Not long ago, I was walking down the hallway of a fancy hotel. I was feeling pretty good about myself and how life was treating me.

As I passed each door, I noticed the signs hanging from some of the doorknobs. Some displayed “Maid Service Please.” Other door signs said, “Do Not Disturb.”

Later in the day, God spoke to me. He said,  “On a regular basis, you hang the 'Maid Service' sign on the door of your heart, when you want me to clean up your mess. This is an entitlement because you have no intention of cleaning up yourself. You expect my service immediately and without question.” I was shocked. I started to argue. But before I could get defensive, I heard Him say, “You just as quickly flip the sign over to “Do Not Disturb”, as if you don’t want me to bother you. It makes me very sad when you do this to me.”

I couldn’t speak. His words penetrated my heart and challenged me to take a good long look at my attitude towards God and the entitlements I walked in. 

After I deeply repented, I started to evaluate how I interacted with others in regards to this sign. Did I really, expect others to “Do Not Disturb” me? Did I really want others to pick up after my messes? Am I really entitled? The answer sadly was a resounding, yes!

My heart still feels the weight of that sin, even as I’m reminded of that day, from time to time. I have made a conscious effort to not swivel this sign towards God and others who attempt to connect with me. Who do I think I am? Where did such arrogance and pride waltz into my heart? The answer is, daily, I make a choice to either walk in pride or in humility. I either choose to serve others or be served. I’m still a work in progress and thankfully, God isn’t finished with me yet, and thankfully, my family hasn’t disowned me. But I’m regularly aware that I have a doorknob on my heart waiting for a sign to hang on it. I get to choose to not hang entitlement, on the doorknob of my heart. Today, I’m going to hang a sign that says, “Welcome, how can I serve you?”