Missions not as Usual

“And they overcame by the blood of The Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives not even until death.” Rev 12:11

Something The Lord has been working on my heart and have been speaking to me about is “doing missions not as usual”, doing business not as usual. Most of us missionaries including myself go on short term mission trips and some even long term, with the hope of coming home alive. But what if we go and not come back? 

I remember going to East Asia and Thailand with that mindset. Although it was risky at times, I knew I was coming back. I expected to come back. 

 I am not condemning that but what we really need is a missions movement filled with fearless lovers, who will go on missions with the reality that they might not come back, to be prepared to lay down their lives, for they know there is a great reward for them if they would endure till the end. There is a crown of life that awaits them.

I don’t want to be a part of a “self preservation” missions movement nor do I want to call my generation to that. 

But what is the motivation? How can one be so moved or motivated by something that would drive them to even death.

 Passion is the driving force. It’s the very thing that motivated Jesus as He endured the cross, bearing the sins of humanity. Passion for us drove Him to the cross and it sustained Him while He was mocked, rejected, stripped, whipped, and crucified.

 Well Amy, aren’t you scared? Aren’t you afraid of persecution, pain and death? What about families and loved ones? Of course I am afraid and of course my heart breaks at the thought of leaving families and loved ones. My flesh is begging to stay where it is safe, where it is comfortable, where there is certainty, where there is no risk needed. But He is worth everything that I am and everything that I have. 

I mean isn’t that what Christianity is about? Radical lovers willing to lay down their lives for a cause. The cause of Christ. Isn’t He worth it? Isn’t He worth everything that we own? Everything that we are? When we look to His cross, does it not demand all of us, even our very lives? We are just a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. We only have one life, why shouldn’t we waste it on Him, who gave it all for us. It’s easier said then done of course. But it all starts with a yes and then another yes to the things of God. It requires a no and then another no to the things of the world and the things of our flesh. 

 Nevertheless, the weak yes in my heart triumphs over the endless questions in my mind. My love for Him overcome fears and doubts. 

Oh but there is a comforting promise that He is with us: “I will be with You even till the end and happy is he who is persecuted for righteousness sake.” 

 I want to follow Him where ever He leads me. He is My Sheperd and I trust His perfect leadership. 

 He is worthy of it all. He truly is worth it all. 

From Thailand to 2nd Track

My time in Thailand was life changing. My life will never ever be the same again and my heart has been knitted to this nation. I saw well over 1500 people impacted by the Good News and love of Jesus. I saw women in the Red Light District awakened to the reality that there is a God who loves them and to know that they are precious and valuable in His sight. That He hears their cry for justice.. I saw 16 young Hmong children in a village experience The Holy Spirit as He revealed Jesus to them and seeing them inviting Him into their hearts. I saw young teenage girls live’s being transformed as they encounter God in the place of prayer in our prayer meetings, now they’re the ones leading the meetings. I saw Buddhist monks who were seeking for more, walk away with answers and setting on a new journey of discovering truth, discovering Jesus. Those were just snippets of what I experienced. The faces, the stories, the lives I got to touch and the places I got to visit are snapshots forever kept in my heart. 

So while in Thailand, God began to speak to me about my plans after Thailand and He placed a desire in my heart to come back to Kansas City for the 2nd track. This was not my original plan at all,  but one thing I’ve learned this past year is that His ways are truly higher than my ways. And there’s no other way way I would rather live but to live according to God’s will.

All to say, I am currently back in Kansas City for the 2nd track of ACTS. After 3 months of in depth biblical studies pertaining to missions, language learning and college outreaches to international students, my team of 8 and I will make our way to the Middle East for 10 weeks.

Would you prayerfully consider sending me to the Middle East whether it is through prayer, finances and or both. Would you consider joining with me in whatever capacity the Lord leads and, together, we can have an impact among the unreached peoples. The total amount needed for the next 6 months is $9000. This amount will cover all housing, tuition, food, airfare to/from outreach, resources, vaccinations, visas and extra expenses 

For Tax Deductible: Please make check payable to “IHOP-KC” without my name on the memo and please send it to my temporary address found below with the enclosed envelope: (If my name is written on the check the donation will not be tax-deductible.)

To support me personally & not Tax Deductible: Please make check payable to Tieuphuong Dinh and please send it to the same address found below or you can give online through my pay pal:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=QP3XR75QTRKCE&lc=US&i

tem_name=Amy&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3a NonHosted

Amy Dinh
C/O ACTS
3517 E. Red Bridge Rd

Kansas City, MO 64137

Thank you!

*If you would like a personal support letter, please email me at captivatedbylov3@yahoo.com

ACTS 2nd Track- Central Asia/Middle East

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You should be an ACTS Student!!

Dear friends, This past July-September I had the privilege to join the ACTS Program at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. ACTS (Antioch Center for Training and Sending) is a 6-month program designed to equip young leaders to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and change the world through worship, prayer and missions.

During my three months in Kansas City I was able to spend hours in the prayer room encountering God, receive important teaching from IHOP-KC leaders, and train for cross-cultural missions. I also got to experience amazing community with like-minded brothers and sisters who are all wholeheartedly pursuing Jesus.

Currently I am on the three-month outreach portion of ACTS in Thailand!  The Lord has marked me with this call to take Jesus to the nations as an intercessory missionary and to see a people, group and nation worship the God who created them. Since being here in Thailand, I’ve seen people surrendered their lives to Jesus, healed, delivered and challenged to live a radical life for God.

The next ACTS program is from January 15-June 30, 2012. The outreach locations for the next track will likely include Turkey, Lebanon, and Nepal. I know you have a huge heart for missions and prayer and I invite you to prayerfully consider applying for this next program. You can find more information about ACTS online at: http://actsschool.com/

Blessings!

Lover of Your Presence

Won’t you let this be a sacrifice, let me dedicate my life to worship You.

Jesus, I want to be a lover of Your presence, for in it there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more.

 

Week 8: The Cross & The Crescent

I was looking forward to this week’s teaching the most because I knew God would use the teaching to educate us about Islam and its differences from Christianity.

Understanding the biblical and spiritual roots of Islam will help us be more efficient in evangelism.

This week’s teaching has increased my love for my Muslims brothers and sisters…to feel the love and desire that God has towards them has helped me so much in prayer. It all started last Nov through a dream and several divine encounters with people, that God has called me to pray for the salvation of Muslims. Now, I find myself weeping every time I pray for them.

To pray that they will encounter His everlasting love for them.  That they would know of The Father’s love and  that He hears their cry.

Love has set us Free –Friday

Tonight at the Encounter God service I got to pray for a sister who was being oppressed by the enemy. I knew how she felt because I’ve been in that place before.  When the enemy flood our minds with lies about our identity, beauty and destiny, telling us that we’re ugly, not good enough, and that we are a no body.

I got to witness Jesus come heal and set her free. His love and presence was so tangible in that moment. All I could do was smile at what God was doing in my midst.

While praying, I led her through a time of renouncing the lies she had believed and we asked for The Holy Spirit to come and comfort her. His peace and love saturated her heart and mind. In that moment, she was God’s little baby girl. His perfect love truly drives out fear. (1 John 4: 18)

God then told me to kiss her on her forehead like it was as if He was kissing her Himself. God likes to do that a lot…well; we are His hands and feet, made in His likeness and image.  So why not! : )

Washing the ladies feet

This week, some of the girls within our ACTS team felt led by God to have a time where we all washed each others feet.

As we were washing each others feet, we prayed and called forth each others destinies. It was a time of healing, restoration in the areas of not loving each other well or not being as intentional as we should be.

After many tears and hugs, we took communion with each other and celebrated with some dancing and a fire tunnel!! 

Late night Worship with Love Himself

9/3/11- last night, we had a time of worship with a few of us. Cory played the guitar and sang, while the rest of the girls worshiped. God definitely spoke to a lot of us during that time of worship. As we were singing “His banner over me is love.” I had a revelation of  it.

He took me to the banqueting table and His banner, a literal banner over me was love. He introduced me to everyone at the party saying “This is my Beloved. Isn’t she beautiful?”

He delights over us and He is not ashamed of us. He desires to show off His bride…to present her to all, that all may see His glorious creation, whom He loves dearly.

Week 7- Missions & End Times

This week, Daniel Lim came back to our class and taught us on missions and end times.

God is connecting our stories to the grand story of redemption.   How missions first started with Jesus and how missions will end with Jesus.

In order to have insight for the future concerning missions, we must look at the past.

Believe it or not, America at one point was the largest sending force of missionaries! I believe that the day of western missionaries is not over yet. God raise up another student volunteer movement that will go forth and finish the Great Commission. God, would you do it in my generation.

Profound truths

Prayer sustains revival

Daily communion with God is what will sustain us, not miracles or signs and wonders.

Prayer sustains the increase of glory and strengthens the persecuted saints.

Our relationship with God will help us be in sync with what He’s doing

Highlights of the Week

This weekend was special because Pastor Dick Eastman from Every Home for Christ came out to teach  our ACTS School on.

After the teaching, Dick and his wife Dee sat on two chairs and our group formed a line to have them pray a quick prayer over us as we shook their hands. I’m not really sure what happened but as I was in line, my eyes began to well up with tears. The thought of shaking the hands of a spiritual grandma and grandpa who have labored for years for God. They labored both in prayer and in missions.  The thought of receiving the anointing of two faithful lovers of Jesus and faithful lovers of each other melted my heart. What an honor that was for our team…

It was my turn in line to shake their hands and the moment I touched their hands, I felt a supernatural transaction, that the anointing and the life that they lived would be evident in my life. That my generation would take up the baton and continue what they’ve already started.

Sayings from Dick Eastman:

“Live your life as if Jesus was coming back today, but plan as if He would not come in Your lifetime.”

“You’ll never know the destiny He has for you.”

“It’s not about saving souls, its about eternal worshippers. “

“Don’t go to heaven without a harvest.”

Something that was also special for me this week was having to catch up with my best friend, who had just came back from a missions trip to the Philippines. It was her first missions trip and hearing how God used their small team of 5 to encourage and pour into the churches there.

 

Prayer Requests

Prayer Request #1:  Some of my ACTS team members are still short for the airfare and tuition (Thailand, Kenya & Uganda). Please pray for God’s provision. We are trusting and believing God for His provision. As a team, we are desiring and praying that we’ll raise extra funds so that we can bless the churches, missionaries and ministries in Thailand as we partner up with them. That we would be able to leave not just a spiritual blessing but a financial blessing as well.

If you would like to support us or  know anyone who would, please pass on the word. Also, there is a way for people to give an online donation on the ACTS website but it won’t be tax deductible though.

Here is the website to give an online donation.

www.formstack.com/forms/luke18project-online_payment

• Please select ACTS for the “payment for”

• select ACTS July 2011 Outreach for “type of payment”

• put in Amy Dinh as “the applicant’s name.”

*the funds will then be transferred to the rest of my team.

If you would like to support me personally, you can also do an online donation or write a check out to Vietnamese Christian Community Church and send it to:

Amy Dinh
c/o ACTS
3517 E. Red Bridge Rd
Kansas City, MO 64137

Prayer Request #2: So my Thailand team and I are torn between getting a vaccination for Japanese encephalitis  or not, which costs $580. Please pray that we will be led by God whether we should or not.

Thank you!

Week 6 – The Contending House of Prayer

Here are some highlights from this week’s teaching.

There is a beauty of seeing Jesus crush His enemies under His feet and under out feet.

As a believer, we are to be aware of other religions but not to be impressed, afraid or fascinated by them. There is a line that we must draw when studying about another religion, that we are not to cross the line between information to fascination. Do not open up your heart to darkness or false teachings. Know enough to pray and witness effectively.

We must use the bible, which is the word of God when entering into battle. His word is a sword, full of truth that sets people free.

We are to take the scriptures and proclaim it.

Altars of worship: This is God’s strategy for spiritual warfare.  God remembers our altars of worship.

Abraham built altars of worship and prayer for The Lord wherever he went. He claimed the land back to God. (Gen 12:8, 13:4) Altars were places where Abraham agreed (says yes) on earth with God’s promises given from heaven. The Lord say “I am giving you this land”, and by building an altar in the name of The Lord on that piece of land, Abraham was saying “Yes, Lord, this land belongs to you.” (1 Kings 20:23. 28 and Jer 2:28)

We are not called to bring deliverance to just individuals but deliverance to regions. We are called to constantly go into new territories to reclaim it back to God.  

Wed: So, we have to turn in our airfare funds tomorrow in order to purchase our airfare tickets. We all needed $2000 for the airfare and most of us did not have it. Some had the partial amount but most of us did not have anything. Despite of fears, doubts and worries, we trusted God for His provision. So, we decided to hold an all nighter prayer meeting in the global prayer room to pray in the finances. But we didn’t just pray; we took steps of faith by shooting out text messages, face book statuses and phone calls. In less than 24 hours, God brought in $25,436 for our team!! We are still believing and praying for more because some people are still short and we would like to raise extra to bless the nations we’ll be going to.

Sat: Today’s group activity was a treasure hunt and it was at the Kansas City’s Annual Ethnic Fair. We came early to the fair to walk around and try the different foods. About 65 nations were represented that day. It was the perfect opportunity for evangelism. So ACTS partnered up with The Strike Team from The Call Institute to do a treasure hunt. About 60 people invaded the fair. My friends (Linda & Kendra) and I got to meet and pray for everyone on our list. Although some refused prayer, we knew that seeds were planted that day and perhaps someone else will reap from it.

 

Week 5-Theology of Night & Day Worship

This week’s teaching focus was on the Theology of Night & Day Worship with Steven Venable.

In order to understand Night & Day Devotion (worship and prayer), we must start with Heaven. Heaven, where God dwells is the reference point for everything.

Why is that we have 24/7 drive thrus, gas stations, hospitals to meet our human needs. But when we ask for 24/7 prayer rooms, there are skepticism. This is due to the fact that we’ve yet to have a vision of God that is consuming, causing us to give Him adoration. Why 24/7 night and day prayer? The only conviction is that He is worth it and heaven is doing it. God did not employ the seraphims to work, but to worship Him day and night. And I wonder if they ever get bored? According to Rev 4:6-11, they seem to enjoy it.

His beauty is our conviction. He is the origin of all beauty and He is the loveliest of all. The Heavenly Temple is God’s in-habitation, and it is the most beautiful place that exists. If we could look inside the Heavenly Temple, it would shatter all of our pale, insipid imaginations and strip our tongue of speech. –Stephen Venable

Ancient as the mountains and without sin, the angels in heaven do not request anything of The One upon whom they gaze upon. And we who are as fleeting as the flowers of the field and the mist of the morning, so broken and fractured by sin, have longings whispered as we go to and fro throughout our day carried into His very presence for His consideration. Although our prayers leave our mouths and seem to vanish into the air, in truth they find a physical, sacramental representation in the Heavenly Temple in the form of incense. –Steven Venable

*This quote and statement changed everything for me concerning worship and prayer. Can you believe it? Us broken and sinful humans can move God’s heart with our prayers! I’m talking about the God of the Universe! Wow that is sooo hard to fathom.

8/9- harp & bowl clinic- this week we did something different. Normally, we would have a few folks lead worship and everyone else just doing their own thing. Some would just be on their laptops and some would talk to the other members. Instead, we broke out in a time of worship & prayer (singing in the spirit). There was so much unity and our worship was like a sweet fragrance unto Him.