YWAM Converge: God at work around the world.

Written by John Henry of YWAM Converge

Tomorrow

On a flight from Singapore to Tokyo, my conversation with the man sitting next to me took a sad turn.  The man was a merchant marine on his way back to sell his condo in Boston and build his new house on 12 acres in Maine. He said,

“When the nukes go off in about eight years from now, radioactive fallout will be driven across much of the Mid-Atlantic, but the currents won’t reach Maine.”

He asked what I do and I replied that I work with Youth With A Mission. I told him that I equip people from many nations with a gospel of hope to do practical service in every sphere of influence. I coordinate missional internships. He said he’s a Christian too, but then he said:

“People aren’t prepared for the end times.”

It seems we have two very different views of the future, two very different gospels.

One view of the future is animated by fear, which results in desperate acts of self-protection. The other view of the future is grounded in faith and hope for a future that will ultimately fulfill Christ’s Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

I love the Bible because it is so honest about the frailty, foolishness, and failures of humanity. From the wandering children of Israel in the wilderness to the evil acts of her kings, including even David’s adultery and murder, the adulterous hearts of God’s chosen people seems inescapable. The wisest and most devout writers of the Old Testament lemant the meaninglessness of life, “it’s chasing after the wind.” For centuries, Israel cried out for her promised Messiah. And when he comes, Jesus’ nearest friends are bickering over lunch and arguing over who has the higher rank in God’s kingdom. 

From the very beginning of the story of humanity, fear and shame have gripped our hearts. Adam and Eve were persuaded by the Adversary that God is keeping something from them. They believed God did not give them everything they needed. That shameful story continues producing shameful results. From sibling rivalries to political battles to international trade wars, we still believe that lie.

None of us are exempt. All of us have turned to our own away. We have all sought freedom and fulfillment, a better future apart from God. So the merchant marine passenger on my flight was right. People really aren’t ready for the end times. But God is ready.

Despite our fallenness and the wicked schemes of our adversary, God has promised He will complete that which he began. He watches over all of his Word to perform it. (Jer. 1:12)

On that same flight, I caught a Disney movie called Tomorrowland. The film’s star, Casey, is a teenage girl with an explorer’s spirit. She recalls a story her father, a NASA scientist, told her when she was a little girl:

“Two wolves lived in the wilderness. One is despair and hopelessness. The other is hope and possibility. Which one survives?”

Answer

“The wolf that survives is the one you feed.”

I asked my merchant marine friend if he considered Abraham’s prayer for his neighboring cities. Abraham appealed to God to hold back his judgment if only ten righteous people could be found there. (Gen. 18:32) 

I offered a suggestion to my new friend that he consider Abraham’s prayer for his neighboring cities. Abraham appealed to God to hold back his judgment if only ten righteous people could be found there. (Gen. 18:32)

God responded to the prayers of one person who believed he can be appealed to for a different future. Today there are about 2.5 billion Christians living all over this planet. Sadly, not all of those believers are in a conversational relationship with God. Not all are “feeding” hope and possibility. Not all are dreaming God’s big dreams for all humanity and all of his creation.

We don’t know better than God, but he will respond when we talk to him and listen. He has dreams for tomorrow and for every tribe, and tongue, and nation.

What are your dreams for tomorrow?

Creating Internships around the world.

When the Coronavirus crisis caused governments to declare health emergencies and businesses closed all over the world, those businesses, as well as schools, NGOs, and even churches all went virtual. At YWAM Converge, we help you make a difference with missional organizations. We have added virtual remote internships—that is, an internship that you can do from anywhere, which can take place over the summer, over the course of a semester, or throughout the year. Virtual Remote Internships are no longer only for internet-friendly companies. Everyone has been forced to adjust to a new normal.

Virtual Internships

John and Mary Henry: Their ministry

Visit Converge. At YWAMConverge we believe everyone has a calling, following the crowd will not bring transformation, and a personalized missions project is the best way to discover your purpose. Converge helps you create internships for your missional organization. We connect students to missional internships. With Converge, you can make a difference in your world. If you are searching for an opportunity related to your field of studies or your passion, visit the Converge platform today and let us know you did.

How John and Mary serve with YWAM

Serving YWAM since 1985Y

YWAM CONVERGE: Mission with a Vision!

How We Serve With YWAM

John is a focused global learning leader and project manager with more than 25 years’ driving development and coordination of international internships, training for spiritual formation, and events. Achieved goal of equipping hundreds of student volunteers to sensitively engage people from other cultures to affect positive change in their world. John & Mary Henry possess a strong collaborative teaching and leadership style and a proven record of adapting to the changing needs of partner agencies and their people.

John is a speaker with Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.