January 2018
Double-Dipping
Double-dipping is generally considered to be unethical—if not outright illegal. It can be the act of receiving compensation from two departments of the same employer.
Way back in my younger days, I double-dipped. But I wasn’t doing anything illegal.
One Sunday night when I was 12, a preacher scared the hell out of me with his awful description of what happened to people who didn’t give their hearts to Jesus. I went forward and prayed a prayer, but sadly it didn’t take—my heart was not in it, and my fear had not been not replaced with the joy of my salvation.
Then, when I was 16 years old, my Dad started putting a little pressure on me to get baptized. He explained Romans 6 to me, and more to get him off my back than following what Paul had written, I agreed to go through with it. Dad baptized me in a friend’s swimming pool.
That was my first dip. The second came many years later.
Our family of six had joined YWAM in 1976 and we were based in Kona, which was then still a work in progress—but growing fast. In late 1977, a large international outreach was planned in Canberra, Australia, to which I felt God directing me. So, together with a colleague, I set off on my first overseas missions venture.
From Honolulu, we flew overnight on a Pan Am Jumbo Jet, via Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney and then on to Canberra, the Capital of Australia. Stopping for an hour to refuel in Auckland, those of us continuing on trooped off the airplane and into the transit lounge.
I had noticed that there were several YWAM ‘heavies’ on board our flight, notably Floyd McClung, Don Stephens and one who I determined to avoid at all cost, the well-known bible teacher, Joy Dawson. (She had spoken in our school and her piercing eyes together with her authoritative, no-nonsense style, quite frankly scared me!)
Tired as we were, I watched as Joy, armed with a handful of coins and a small notebook, made a bee-line for the one payphone in the lounge. As I watched, I saw her frustration at not being able to work the old fashioned, “Dial-and-Push-Button-A-then Push Button-B” system, which I had used before. I asked if I could help, she gratefully accepted my offer and we got the phone working. She had a dozen Kiwi intercessors she wanted to update, and less than 40 minutes in which to do so. (No texting cell phones or emails in 1977!)
Back on the Jumbo, with many fewer passengers, there were empty seats and after take-off, breakfast was served. Joy was alone in a row of three seats, so summoning up my courage to mix with her gratitude for my help in the phone incident; I asked her if I might join her for the meal. Her immediate response was, “Of course!”
It didn’t take her long to start quizzing me on my life to that point, and how I had come to join YWAM. I told her that I had gotten my life right with God, only after I became involved with the mission. She was a bit horrified to learn that I had actually served on the Board of a YWAM base in my former spiritual condition.
We arrived at the outreach location and I discovered there would be teaching sessions each morning for the first week. My new friend, Joy, was a main speaker. She was deep into one of her many teachings, when suddenly she veered off subject and spent five minutes emphasizing the necessity of believers’ baptism.
I came under immediate conviction, recalling my half-hearted baptism those many years before. That short ‘word’ by Joy evidently energized the outreach leaders to announce that a baptism would be held the following day in a large lake in the middle of Canberra. I knew I was in for my second dip.
Along with scores of others—mostly much younger people—I waded out into Lake Burley-Griffin and was truly baptized, this time by YWAM leader Claude Rediger.
You’ll never believe what happened next . . . I sensed I was to ask Joy (yes, Joy Dawson!) out for lunch. Amazingly, she agreed, so we set a time. Now I have a problem: I didn’t know my way around Canberra at all, didn’t have a car and worse than that, I had never driven on the left side of the road. Some trusting soul loaned me their car and we set off on a bit of a hair-raising drive.
It was a lovely lunch we had that day, and our conversation started a relationship that goes on to this day. Although I must say that Donna came to know Joy in a even deeper way.
Just this past Christmas, Joy who has suffered much physical pain for many years though she soldiers on, mailed us a warm and loving, handwritten card. Here are some excerpts:
. . . Your love and prayers are such a gift to me . . . I have a burning passion to completely fulfil my destiny—regardless of the cost—before I see my precious Savior face to face . . . It is a joy to intercede for you both, with fervency and faith . . . your forever friend, Joy.
Joy Dawson, now in her tenth decade on this earth, has touched many thousands of lives—in YWAM and beyond—with her passion for Jesus and His Truth, and for her deep knowledge of the Word.
I wonder if some of us need to share our testimony with a sprirtual authority of whom we may be in awe . . . and then be prepared for God to ask us to something radical.
Many Blessings,
Floyd & Sally McClung
Feeling sorry for yourself sometimes? Don’t we all? If anyone should be free to engage in self pity, it is this woman of God. . .
Sally McClung is herself a message of hope and trimuph through the most terrible of trials. Along with her husband Floyd (who has been bedridden and barely able to communicate since February 2016), Sally, is passing through major health issues of her own, while bearing the burden of carrying on without Floyd. These afflicions, the likes of which you and I could almost not dream of, Sally carries with grace—learning and teaching from all the setbacks and victories.
Here is an excerpt from a recent update . . .
“I’ve found if I don’t take control over my thoughts, they bounce all over the place . . . and my emotions bounce with them. I have to focus my thoughts on God’s goodness, faithfulness, sovereignty, grace, and sufficiency. When I think on those wonderful attributes of God, thankfulness fills my heart!! And joy then bubbles up.”
Donna’s Corner
A Closer Walk
Dear friend,
As you begin this new year of 2018, remember the Holy Spirit is leading you along a way that is uniquely right for you. Don’t compare yourself with others but listen to Him each step of the way. There are many prophetic words spoken for this year, such as, “It’s a day of new beginnings,” and “There will be open doors for you.” These are good words, so ask the Lord they are for you personally, or are they for the person who is speaking? If He says yes this is for you personally, then believe it and walk by faith.
The closer you get to Him the more you will become the son or daughter He created you to be. There is only one you. Your journey is different than others, but God enables us to follow this solitary path with Him, while we walk in close contact with others. We will walk in the fear of the Lord, not the fear of man, and we will be filled with His love for others. Relying on His love takes away all fear. [1John 4:7-19]
He is the vine we are the branches. If we remain in the vine, He will remain in us and we will bear much fruit. We can’t bear fruit that will last, if we don’t remain in Him, having continual communion and fellowship with him. [John 15] It is for the Father’s glory that we bear much fruit, showing we are disciples of Jesus. Jesus also said if we hold to His teaching we are really His disciples and we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. [John 8:31-32]
This year let’s focus on Jesus, His teachings, walking and talking with Him, showing the world we are truly His by the love we have for Him and one another.
The Father loves us as much as He loves His son Jesus. [John 15:23] And Jesus loves us as much as the Father loves Him. [John 15:9] How much is that?!
This love is beyond our comprehension but we receive it by faith as the Holy Spirit pours out His love into our hearts. We receive His love, not by doing, but by believing.
May the Lord bless you abundantly with His joy, peace, hope and love this year. Keep your eyes on Jesus and not on the circumstances. Listen to Him.
Love and Blessings,
P.S. There are two books focusing on Jesus that I recommend.
Jesus Journey by Trent Sheppard. I love Trent. He is an amazing guy who loves Jesus. He walks what He talks. I’ve known him since he was a young teenager.
Jesus the Model by Joy Dawson. I love Joy. I believe she is almost 92 and she still handwrites words of encouragement to Peter and me. Her life and her books have had such a huge impression on my life. She loves God and walks in the fear of the Lord.
Camps in Europe this Summer
July 8-14 – YWAM Restenäs, Sweden
July 15-21 – Sighisoara, Romania
Speaker to be announced
July 29-Aug 4 – YWAM Champagne, France
Speaker Richard Jones – “The Way to the Father”
Click here for updates and more information!
My Women Heroes (Part Two)
William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army was quoted as saying, “Some of my best men are women.”
Today that would be jumped all over as being Politically Incorrect. But in the late 1800s, that was a bold statement. And even in my time in YWAM I have met quite a few women who can and do, fill a man’s boots.
Elisabeth Cochrane is such a woman. Back in the 1980s, as a young single woman, she was one of a few pioneer YWAM leaders in the subcontinent of India, Nepal and their neighboring nations. In 1986, she was YWAM’s leader in Nepal, so it was Lis we contacted to see if we could visit in order to encourage her and the staff in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. She welcomed us to come (and in fact, her plan was to meet Donna and me and our 15-year old son Pete, at the airport with an elephant as local transportation!)
In order to meet us in Kathmandu, Lis, who had been in India, took a bus to cross the border back into Nepal. In the middle of the night, in the forested mountains, the bus broke down and she and other passengers had to march several miles to the border. She just made it to the airport to meet us—minus elephant!
Sadly, our time in Nepal was short—Donna came down with both bacillary and amoebic dysentery. It was a close call for her, but the care and medical attention she received, was superb.
Not long after this, Lis was leading an outreach team hiking through the Himalaya Mountains. They were all arrested, chained together and confined in a one-room prison for several days. A worldwide YWAM prayer alert was raised for these young prisoners. They were soon freed.
Lis is now Elisabeth Cochrane, married to Steve and still active in YWAM. Her widowed mother Gunila, as well as her brother and her sister are all in YWAM. Quite a family!
One of my heroes.
Till next time,
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