March Prayer Focus: A Lifestyle of Repentance
YWAM is a visionary organization. We are regularly pioneering new things in new ways all over the world as the Holy Spirit leads. Many of us are probably ready to move on in our prayer days and focus on unreached peoples, frontiers we have yet to reach, call2all, or praying for a particular part of the world. But that is not what God has in store for us this month! Having circumcised our hearts (January), and considered the role of forgiveness (February), God is now emphasizing a deeper work in order for us to receive more of His authority and take new land. Our focus this month is on developing a lifestyle of repentance.
As Lynn’s letter says, many of us view repentance as punishment, not as freedom. We see it as a one-time act reserved only for when we commit grievous sin, not as a gift or a blessing from God. Our prayer is that during the March prayer day, you begin to see repentance in a different way. Much like a key turns the lock in a door, repentance unlocks our heart to greater truth in our relationships and produces more transparency and joy in our lives. And a lifestyle of repentance leads to greater authority. Can you imagine what would happen if the whole YWAM family practiced a lifestyle of repentance as it is described in Lynn Green’s letter? What a blessing!
Please share what you’re receiving with the YWAM world! Just go to www.prayerday.org to post comments about your prayer time and to read how other YWAMers are experiencing the monthly prayer days at their locations. If you haven’t yet registered to receive the monthly prayer guide summaries by e-mail, please go to www.ywamlist.org/prayerday and follow the registration instructions.
三月禱告焦點：一個悔改的生活方式
青年使命團是一個充滿異象的機構，在全球各地,我們經常在聖靈的帶領下，以新的方法在新的事工上拓荒，我們當中很多人可能已經預備好，要從我們的禱告日轉而聚焦在未得之民當中、開拓更多我們尚未開發的區域、呼召到萬國、或為全球特定的地方禱告。但那不是上帝在這個月預備要給我們的。在我們的心中行割禮（一月），思考饒恕的角色（二月），現在，上帝強調是一個更深的工作，為了要讓我們去承接他的權柄及贏得新的地土。這個月我們的焦點是建立一個悔改的生活方式。
如同 Lynn信上所說的，我們當中很多人看待悔改如同懲罰，而非得著自由。我們看待悔改就像是一次的行為，只為著當我們犯了令人悲痛的罪時而存留的，不像是一個從上帝來的祝福或禮物。我們的禱告是，在三月的禱告日，你會用不同的方式看待悔改。它會更像是要開一道鎖著的門的鑰匙，悔改在關係上、在產生更多轉化上，還有在我們生活的喜樂中，打開了我們的心讓真理更多充滿我們。而一個悔改的生活方式也帶領我們得著更多有權柄，若全世界的青年使命團大家庭都鍛鍊如同Lynn Green的信中所描述的悔改之生活方式，你能夠想像會發生什麼事嗎？那將是多大的祝福啊！
請將你的領受與全球的青年使命團分享，只要去www.prayerday.org貼上你的禱告時間的意見，以及去閱讀其他的青年使命團伙伴所經歷的每月的禱告日，及其他的文章。如果你還沒登記要收到每個月的禱告引導概述的電子郵件，煩到
www.ywamlist.org/prayerday按著登記指引去登記
March Leader's Letter-- Lynn Green, YWAM Chairman
Loving greetings in the name of Jesus to our wonderful global family! We are more than 17,000 staff and about that same number of students each year and are from over 200 nations. What a family!
God creates by speaking His Word and then working with us to make it happen. Nearly 50 years ago, He brought his Word to a young man by the name of Loren Cunningham in the form of a vision of waves of young people covering the whole earth with the Good News about Jesus Christ. Since that year, 1960, God has been working with Loren and then Darlene and all who joined their hearts to them and that vision to make it happen.
When I went to Lausanne, Switzerland to attend a School of Evangelism in the summer of 1969, I could never have imagined that our little group of young people scattered in a few nations around the world could become the great, global family that we are today. Our Heavenly Father is building this family for a purpose. That purpose is a very big one and it is defined in Matthew 28:18-20:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
With such a huge calling, we need to work with the whole Body of Christ whereever we are. We also need to keep growing in numbers and in purity. As we have written before, we are now in a season when we can expect to grow like never before, and God is calling us to holiness in preparation for that.
Matthew 28 is the passage from which we get a term that we hear quite a lot these days—“discipling nations”. I notice that term is understood quite differently from one person to another and sometimes from one team or base to another. But note that Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Did He mean for us to win people to Him from every ethnic background, or did He mean that we could see whole nations become obedient to Him?
However we interpret that phrase, we know that our approach must be the same as His. We must win people to faith in Christ and to a life of learning to obey everything he commanded. That life of obedience is the path we have chosen and we are all meant to reproduce!
Just this morning, my wife, Marti, and I were expressing our deep desire to win more people to Jesus. I know that I am not “abiding in the vine” (John 15:4-8) to the depth that He wants me to until I am regularly “bearing fruit”. Though I can be encouraged when I bear the fruits of the Spirit, the primary purpose of fruit in God’s creation is reproduction. Let us all pray for more of that kind of fruit in our lives. We cannot begin to think we are “discipling nations” until we are making disciples.
We cannot “disciple nations” by only working through the positions and people of power in a nation. It is only when many people in a nation turn to active faith in Jesus and begin to obey His teaching that a process of transformation in that society can begin. That change can bring an entire nation into alignment with the ways of God, so that their government, their laws, their culture and every life-sphere reflects aspects of godly values. However, no nation will be entirely obedient to God. That is our calling as the Body of Christ whom Peter refers to as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” in 1 Peter 2:9.
As we grow in obedience to all that He taught, (as in Matthew 28:19) we grow in His authority. As I look through the scriptures, the authority of Jesus stands out as one of the first things people noticed about Him. It is also a quality that He imparted to His disciples (Luke 9:1). But they did not exercise that authority with His grace until after the day of Pentecost. At one point, when they visited the city of Samaria, they wanted to call down fire from heaven on the people because they felt rejected by them!
God wants to give us authority to make disciples of all nations, but we must first learn to live a life of obedience, humility and grace. I believe He is eager to impart authority to us—and how we need it! But authority without Christ-like character is too dangerous.
That brings us back to our prophetic theme for this season, Joshua 5. Israel was allowed to cross the Jordan because all those who disobeyed had died in the wilderness and the nation consisted of a new generation of obedient and faith-filled people. The Lord was ready to give them the authority to take the land and rule it in righteousness. But first, they had to be circumcised or sanctified (see the January letter).
With the goal of “taking the land” in mind, we need to keep asking the Lord to sanctify us—to make us a holy people. So this month, the prayer day will continue with a focus on repentance.
We want the Holy Spirit to purge us of all disunity, unbelief, secret sins and appetite for the “things of this world” (1 John 2:15). Please spend some time before the Lord again, asking Him to convict you personally and as a team or community of anything that is preventing you from exercising the authority that is yours in Christ Jesus. Be sure, also, to read the teaching on repentance! It will help all of us to be thorough in our response to God.
When we begin to move in the authority that Jesus has for us, we will be a mighty force, working in unity with others, for the purpose of bringing the nations before the throne of God. Have a great prayer day!
In His Peace,
Lynn Green
International Chairman, YWAM
REPENTANCE & AUTHORITY: A TEACHING
Many months ago God began to move graciously in the YWAM community where I live. Personally, I experienced a new love for Him, hearing His voice more clearly and a deeper joy. The pathway to that renewal was repentance. I found that God was opening my eyes to sins I had never seen before. More often than not, that was because my fellow YWAMers were also being renewed by the Holy Spirit and they felt freer to talk to me about aspects of my life that needed to change. I want that new freedom and growth to continue for the rest of my life.
幾個月前，神開始奇妙的在我所居住的青年使命團社區動工，我經歷到從神而來更新的愛情並在傾聽祂的聲音上更加的清晰且有滿足的喜樂，然而更新的秘訣就是悔改。我發現到神使用以前我未曾有的方式來開啟對待罪惡的眼光。不單是如此，也因著我其他青年使命團的同工受聖靈的更新並帶領他們以敞開的態度和我分享在我生命中需要改變的領域。我渴慕這樣的自由與成長繼續在我的生命中延續開來。
When Joy Dawson first began to teach in YWAM in 1970, she urged us to ask God to enable us to see our hearts as He sees them. She taught from the lives of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and John, the Apostle. In each case, when they had a deep encounter with God, they were overwhelmed by their sense of unworthiness and were intensely aware of their sins. When I heard that teaching, I saw its value and as Joy instructed us, I asked God to show me my heart. Nothing happened. Some of my fellow students had deep encounters with God, but I experienced nothing.
1970年，當喬依•道森第一次開始在青年使命團教導時，她呼籲我們要尋求神,幫助我們看待自己如同祂看待我們的眼光一樣。藉由她引用以賽亞、但以理、以西結和使徒約翰生命的教導中看見，當他們個人與神有親密的相遇，他們明白自己是何等的微不足道並強烈地意識到自己的罪孽。當我聽到這教導，我看見喬依教導背後的價值，我求問上帝並向我彰顯我的心思意念，一些我的同學深切的與神相遇，但我卻什麼事也沒有發生。
That experience left me feeling like God had passed over me. I concluded that I just didn’t want it as badly as others; I didn’t know how to make myself hungrier for God or His conviction. From that time on, I never really expected to see my heart as God sees it. Then, a new friend who is a very good Bible teacher explained that everyone who seeks God in sincerity and humility can see their heart in that way. For some it is a dramatic encounter similar to the one described in Isaiah 6. But for others, that revelation comes bit by bit, like the peeling of an onion—one layer after another. (I am indebted to this teacher, Mike Riches, as well as Brian Brennt and his team in Tacoma, Washington for some of this teaching.)author
那種經歷就像似神從我身旁越過。我對自己下的結論是:我並非像他人一樣渴慕神那般，我不知道如何使自己對祂或祂的光照更加的渴慕。從那刻起，我就從來沒有真心期待過以神的眼光來看待自己，然後，有一位新的朋友是一個很好的聖經教師解釋道:每一個人若是真誠地並謙卑地尋求神，必能尋見神。這樣戲劇性的遭遇就如同以賽亞書六章所提到的情況相似，對於有些人而言，這樣的啟示是一點一滴的累積，就像剝洋蔥般，一層層的被剝開。(我真的非常感激這位教師Mike Riches，以及Brian Brennt 和他在華盛頓州塔科馬市團隊的教導)作者
This is what I have been experiencing in recent years,. From my point of view, it is long overdue. Whether the delay was because of my hardness of heart or because of God’s choice of the best time, I can’t say. But I can say that I now see repentance as a precious gift from God—even though it is still hard to humble myself, repent before God, confess to others and ask for forgiveness.
這是最近這些年來我親身的經歷，從我個人的角度看來，是一個漫長且遲來的學習課題。不論延誤的原因是因為我態度上的剛硬或者是上帝在選擇祂最佳的時機，我說不上來，但現在我可以說的是:悔改是從神而來最珍貴的禮物。即使謙卑自己、向神悔改、向其他人認罪並尋求饒恕對我仍舊困難。
Repentance was central to the message of Jesus
悔改-是耶穌的主要信息
When Jesus began to preach, His message was, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near!” For most of us who are from evangelical backgrounds, that message has been limited to the act of being saved or converted. But repentance is much more than that.
當耶穌開始傳道，他的信息是"要悔改，因天國近了!"對於我們大多數從福音派背景的人而言，這信息被限制於得救或改變信仰的行動，但悔改卻遠勝過於此。
Repentance is part on an ongoing life-style for those who seek to grow in power and authority. Repentance is actually a wonderful gift from God by which we continue to walk the path towards greater maturity in Christ. See how the scriptures describe repentance as a gift from above:
悔改是生活中的一部分-是那些願意在能力和權柄中尋求成長的一種生活型態。悔改事實上是從神而來一個非常美好的禮物，好使我們在基督裡繼續邁向更成熟的道路。讓我們來看經文是如何描述悔改是一個禮物:
Acts 5:29-31 (NKJV) “…God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
使徒行傳5:29-31....神且用右手將他高舉（或作：他就是神高舉在自己的右邊），叫他作君王，作救主，將悔改的心和赦罪的恩賜給以色列人。
Acts 11:18 (NKJ) “…Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
使徒行傳11:18....眾人聽見這話，就不言語了，只歸榮耀與神，說：這樣看來，神也賜恩給外邦人，叫他們悔改得生命了。
Romans 2:4 (NASB) “Do you think lightly of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
羅馬書2:4 還是你藐視他豐富的恩慈、寬容、忍耐，不曉得他的恩慈是領你悔改呢？
Repentance means to stop, turn & walk the opposite way. So when we repent we:
悔改意味停止、轉向並走相反的方向，所以當我們悔改:
1. Stop our sin and confess it.
Acts 3:19 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
1.停止犯罪並認罪
使徒行傳3:19 所以，你們當悔改歸正，使你們的罪得以塗抹，這樣，那安舒的日子就必從主面前來到；
2. Turn away from our sin
2 Tim 2:19 (NIV) Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.
2.從我們的罪中轉離
提摩太後書2:19 ....凡稱呼主名的人總要離開不義。
3. Live in the opposite way from our sin.
3.活出與罪相反的生活
Ephesians 4:28 (NIV) He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
以弗所書4:28 從前偷竊的，不要再偷；總要勞力，親手做正經事，就可有餘分給那缺少的人。
The Greek word for repentance in the scriptures above is metanoia and it means, literally, “a change of mind”; so true repentance has radical results because we turn from something toward something completely different.
希臘原文中，以上經文中悔改一詞是"metanoia"從字面上來看的意思是 "改變初衷"。所以真實的悔改是有徹底改變的結果，因為我們從原本來的方向迴轉走向完全不同的方向。
It is not enough that we regret our sin or even feel very badly about it. Our will must be lined up with what is right. The scriptures speak much about being “whole-hearted” which means that your will—which is very powerful—is aligned with God’s will and His ways. When we align our choices with His ways, and the Holy Spirit adds His power, we have all we need to live a godly life and operate in His authority.
若單是為自己犯的罪事後感到後悔或者是深感難過是不夠的。我們必須把事情作正確。多處經文說到"全心"，這意味著你的意志--非常有能力的部分-完全與上帝的旨意和祂的法則符合。當我們抉擇與祂的法則相符合,聖靈加上神的能力，我們就能活出神聖生活,並在祂的權柄中運作。
When we are convicted of sin, God wants us to add confession to our repentant attitude. Duncan Campbell, one of our teachers in early YWAM schools, said, “Sin leaves a person only one way—through the mouth!” In other words, we need to speak out our repentance. That is confession. Sometimes, it is sufficient to simply speak to the Lord about our repentance. But often, we must speak to others as the epistle of James tells us:
當我們被光照有罪時，神要我們為罪反應出悔改的態度來。鄧肯‧坎貝爾是早期青年使命團的一個教師，他說:罪要從一個人身上離開只有一個管道-透過人的口。換句話說，我們需要藉由口將悔改具體的說出來，這就叫認罪。有時候，它簡單到就是向神認罪悔改禱告，但許多時候，我們需要向他人這麼作,如同使徒雅各告訴我們的:
James 5:16 (NIV) …confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
雅各書5:16 所以你們要彼此認罪，互相代求，使你們可以得醫治。義人祈禱所發的力量是大有功效的。
When our sins have affected others in some way, we need to confess them. As a leader, my sin will almost always affect others, so I must be broken and humble enough to make public confession like King David did.
當我們的罪在某方面影響到他人，我們就需要承認自己的過錯。身為一個領袖，我的過犯幾乎總是會影響到其他人，所以我就必須被破碎並謙卑自己公開的承認自己的過錯如同大衛王一般。
Psalm 51:17 (NIV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
詩篇51:17 神所要的祭就是憂傷的靈；神啊，憂傷痛悔的心，你必不輕看。
We should not confess sins inappropriately, though. Our confession should not expose the sins of others. Neither should we confess things in a public setting that would be better confessed to one or two people who are very close to us.
不適切地悔改也是不當的。當我們承認過犯時,不該揭露其他人的罪行，最好的處理方式是向自己親近的一,兩個好友承認過犯。
But when God begins to draw a team or community together in a closer walk with Him, He often pours out His love so that it results in unusual transparency and individuals are led to open their hearts to others in deep brokenness, humility and agreement to “walk in the light”.
但是當上帝開始將一群人或是團隊聚集起來，乃是為要使他們與神更加親密。祂通常會將祂的愛傾灌在他們當中，所看到的結果就是，生命更為透明化和個人被引領在更深的破碎、謙卑和更向他人敞開心並行在神的光中。
Repentance is a wonderful gift of God’s grace and mercy to us. Let us not treat it as something to be avoided, but embrace it as a pathway to deeper fellowship with Jesus. As we walk closely to him, He will trust us with more of His power and authority and we will live ever more fruitful lives!
悔改是神賞賜給我們恩典和憐憫最珍貴的禮物。讓我們不要逃避它，而要擁抱它視它為與耶穌有親密團契的一個途徑。當我們與神親密同行，祂就將更多祂的能力與權柄託付我們，使我們的生命更加豐盛!
A Testimony about Repentance by Ah Kie Lim
As I was thinking of the topic of repentance I am reminded of Peter’s denial of the Lord and his repentance. In this narrative in Luke 22:54-62 Peter followed Jesus at a distance to see what would become of Jesus as He was arrested and sent to trial. Peter loved the Lord but his fear for his life and safety kept him at a distance. He thought he would be safe staying at a distance and no one would recognize him. Peter did not want to leave Jesus alone, yet he was afraid. Soon after Peter sat down around the fireplace in the courtyard a servant girl identified him as one of the disciples. Peter, fearing for his life, denied knowing Jesus. A little later another man did the same and pointed out it was indeed Peter who had been with Jesus and he was one of them. Peter defended himself and denied that he ever knew Jesus and would not associate himself with Jesus.
While Peter was still looking at Jesus from afar a man identified him as one of the disciples because he is a Galilean. This time Peter knew that he was being identified as one of Jesus’ disciples. He could not hide himself any longer so he denied vehemently that he knew Jesus. Just then the rooster crowed and Jesus turned to look at Peter. Their eyes met and Peter remembered Jesus said that before the rooster crowed he would deny Jesus (Luke 22:34). The meeting of their eyes brought a conviction in Peter’s heart. How could he have done such a thing to the one that he loved and adored? A broken Peter went away in agony over what he had done and repented before the Lord.
Peter’s denial of Jesus reminded me of the day when I told the Lord I had enough and was ready to give up my faith if He did not intervene in my situation with my family. The year was 1980 and I had been “enduring” and “suffering” for Jesus for two years – so I thought. I cannot remember the month but I remember it was a Sunday. I went to church and my parents came into the church and publicly shamed me as they beat me in front of everyone. I was not prepared for this, somewhat like Peter when was not prepared emotionally for the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus told him of his coming death but Peter did not want to hear about it. Scriptures talk about persecution of those who follow Christ but I wasn’t listening (Luke 21:12, John 15:20, Romans 12:14).
After the incident in the church I decided the following day to fast and seek some answers from God; if I did not hear from Him I was going to walk away from my faith and return to Buddhism, which would please my parents. While I was praying and crying out to God I saw in a vision Jesus dying on the cross and heard Him say that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect for me in my weakness. At that very moment that I heard the Lord speak to me I felt that Jesus said He died on the cross for me. He did it all for me. Could I not walk this road with Him? I felt like Peter when Jesus looked at him. Jesus was looking down at me from the cross with such grace and love. Like Peter who wept bitterly because he had denied Jesus, I wept bitterly because I was thinking of turning away from God unless He did something. But instead of feeling sorry for myself for what I am going through the Holy Spirit granted me the strength to persevere in my faith in Him. Like Peter I needed to come to a point of weakness and recognize my need for Him and not trusting my own strength. Peter met the Lord for the second time as he denied Jesus. That was the turning point of Peter’s weakness and there he trusted God. I felt that I met the Lord for the second time in the renewal of my faith and trust in Him when He spoke to me.
Ah Kie Lim
South Asia Member Care Coordinator; GLT member
YWAM
Repentance in Action by Sue Pratt
Strong's Greek dictionary defines repentance as "a reversal of a decision", and to repent means "to reconsider" (morally). I have been in situations where I have allowed myself to make conclusions and judgments, based on first impressions. Often it was a judgment of a person's character or motive. Then the Holy Spirit, in His quiet voice, has spoken that I should “reconsider”. When I followed His prompting, I would suddenly find that there was another way of seeing the situation.
One time, I made a judgment that someone on our team in Liberia was being careless because they allowed the teaspoons from the kitchen to go missing. I asked to talk with him and, unfortunately, a friend walked in the kitchen while I was reprimanding the young man. He was doubly wounded, first by my frustrated, demanding question, and second, by the fact that I had challenged him in front of his older friend. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and convicted me of judgment, impatience and lack of kindness. The young man confronted me too, and I repented in front of him. I also apologized to the other friend. Under the Lord's conviction, I “reconsidered” the whole matter and reversed my decision about the scale of importance of the issue. I decided that my leadership needed to be
marked by kindness, so I promptly went to the market and bought more spoons!
Sue Pratt
Core Team, International Leadership Development Course
YWAM Harpenden
Subscribe Unsubscribe Privacy Policy
© Youth With A Mission 2007
