Spiritual Warfare
We are halfway done with some of the most intense training I’ve ever done. Some say suicide training is a lot. Others think that spiritual warfare conversations are draining. What if you put those two together along with syncretism (blending two faith systems),
learning how to build support systems, public speaking, spiritual health, financial stability in ministry, grief counselling, cultural identity, along with so much more? Every day, Monday to Friday for three weeks, 6-7 hours a day, we learn about these things to use in our ministries, relationships, and support team building.
This year there have been 15 people here for training, 12 of us consistent within the three weeks. It has been a fantastic opportunity to meet the other new missionaries that have come to NCEM this year. Together, we are learning, growing, and creating friendships that will be a great blessing in our ministries in the future. Between the 15 of us, we represent coast to coast and missions anywhere from full-time on a reserve to inner city missions. We have a married couple in their 20s from Vancouver Island and a single lady in her 60s from New Brunswick, a married couple with kids doing camp ministry and a single man working with the homeless in Regina. This year’s candidate training group truly does represent a good variety of what NCEM is and what our heart is, First Nations coming to know our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
One of the most beautiful parts about our training was that there was a baptism! This young man, from a Northern reserve, joined NCEM to be an intern for a year. He started coming to the young adult’s Bible study that was held in Prince Albert and, through that, knew he wanted to get baptized. He talked to our General Director and got baptized only one day after the ice came off the lake! Praise the Lord for His outward commitment to serving the Lord.
One of the most challenging days of our training was the spiritual warfare session. This was technically only an afternoon but stemmed naturally from a “co-dependency” and “healthy relationships in ministry” class that morning. The afternoon talked about different ways in our ministry that the enemy will attack us, gain footholds, creep lies in, but more importantly, how God is sovereign and has more power than any of His creation, including these fallen angels. Through these teachings, I just wanted to hold my hands open and say, “Search me, Lord; Search my heart and soul. Search me for anything that is not of you, and make me clean. Heal old wounds that the enemy uses to gain traction. Close-up cracks where sin once was stowed away.
Search me and show me where I am not committing my life to you.” Through that, there was some conviction in my life that I had to repent of and work through (not that it is fully worked through, but it is given entirely to God now). There is freedom in allowing God to search you and fully give Him that area of your life. God is perfect, yet so often we want to keep that control. We don’t want to hand over our sins because of shame. We don’t want to confess to whom we need to because it is uncomfortable.
God is gracious, and He is kind. He wants to work with us and in us, but He also cannot coexist with sin. We will never be perfect as long as we are on this earth, but we can keep asking the Lord to search us.
I am thankful that God is using this training to grow and prepare me. I am excited to get out into the field and actively use the tools He has given us through the wisdom of others who have gone ahead of us. The enemy does not want us to prosper. We are training to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Nations, and because of that, there is a lot of spiritual warfare. So, please pray for me, the other 14 taking this training, and the leadership, as they are being attacked the most.
If you would like to learn more about what I have been learning at Candidate Training, please contact me! I would love to dialogue with you about all the different things that we got to experience and the wisdom given to us! It would also be great to hear from you and learn what you have been up to!
306-547-1211
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