At Home

Hi Everyone!

After a long break from posting, I'm finally back at home in Southern California! Before I continue, I want to thank you for supporting me with your prayers as I reached out to the people of Papua New Guinea and continuing to look at my blog.

For those of you who are wondering what I did in Papua New Guinea, I, with a team of 8, discipled the natives in the life of Christ in the town of Kerema, Gulf province. To do this, my team and I put on numerous programs that included speaking, worshiping, games, and fellowship. Moreover, we spent many hours alongside the villagers, helping them with their daily work (i.e. making sago - a stable food made from the trunk of the sago palm tree). It was an amazing outreach where our team saw many people come to know Christ and/or further their relationship with Him. Because of your prayer and support, we have made a dramatic impact of the life of many in Papua New Guinea.

Short Story: In a village called Meii, we discipled the natives there for about a week. Throughout this week, we spoke, played games, sang with, and helped serve the people of Meii. At the end of the week, we were told that our visit (the first missionaries in a long while) had forever affected the way of their people. Ultimately, 31 people gave their lives to Christ and we were able to baptize every one of them.

Since my outreach, much has changed. I have finished my Discipleship Training School with YWAM and am now home. What am I doing now?

After arriving in the first week of December, I have followed my call to help assist and begin an internship with Newport Church - my church in Newport Beach (www.newportchurch.com if you're keen to know more about it). All at the same time, I have started back with my final year at Vanguard University and started working again. All to say, I am very busy! But it is all good; not in vain. I am confident that I am where God wants me to be.

As I look at this transitional stage of my life from an external perspective, I realize that in the midst of change, it is critical to focus deliberately on what God has for me. And this provoked a thought: There are many people who are currently going through change; for some, a tough change. For those who can relate, my hope is that you focus expectantly on God's will for your life.

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord you labor is not in vain."

- 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

God will provide. He always does.

Off To Papua New Guinea

Hi everyone,

First off, I want to say that I haven't forgotten about you guys! I've been extremely busy with ministry back at base and found it very difficult to find time to blog. With the last couple of weeks, my team and I went over the subjects of biblical perspectives and world missions. During this time, we've also been preparing each day for our 6 weeks in PNG. Our preparation has consisted of disease awareness (Malaria, etc...), symptoms, treatments for other simple health issues, and evangelism preparation. I've been putting together and hour-plus sermon so I may be prepared when we arrive in PNG.

From what I know, our team will be visiting many villages around Kerema in the Western Gulf Province. During our visits, we will be putting on programs we have put together that include games, worship, preaching, and prayer. In addition. we will also be informing people about the ship tour that will be following in 2010. I know that during our six weeks, the Holy Spirit is going to use my team and I to make an impact that will change the lives of those we minister to, and use those we minister to, to change our lives as well.

Before i'm finished, I want to thank you for continuing to read my blog and support me. To all those who have been praying for me and finacially supporting me, I am so greatful. Because of your contribution, God has absolutely transformed me, giving me new direction in my life, and impacted those who don't know the love and truth of Jesus. If it weren't for you, I would not be where I am now, nor would I be reaching the lost. In other words, you are just as invloved in impacting the nations as I. Thank you, once again, and please continue to pray for my team and I as we venture into the mission God has placed before us in PNG.

If you haven't seen the video in my previous post, please watch it! It shows some of the areas I will be, and explains what my team and I are paving the way for.

Don't forget the way God cares for you, and continue to walk in the salvation of Jesus Christ,

Anthony Schuller

Outreach - Mt. Isa

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to inform you that I'll be unable to respond or wright any new posts for the next 3 weeks. I'm going to be in a city called Mt. Isa in Queensland, Australia. I'm going to mentoring some youth from South Australia, and leading them on an outreach to the aboriginal communities of Mt. Isa. If you would, please keep me in your prayers for energy, and that the Holy Spirit would continue to move in and through me, using me as a vessel to reach the lost. Thank you.

Training Your Life, Not Your Head

This week, I've been blessed to listen to a well known speaker named Dean Sherman. On Monday, God spoke revelation into my life through him. Before I say anything, I want to confess that I am guilty of doing specifically what I am writing about. On the other hand, I have been transformed by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and now strive to live the way Christ commands us to. I want to reiterate my revelation, and share the truth within our church today.

Every major religion on earth is a 24/7 religion except the western, Christian church. Muslims, for example, live, breathe, dress, and surround their lives with their faith. Everything they do, includes their faith. On the other hand, most "Christians" in the western world hide their faith in a room, only to meet up with it, one day a week, during a Sunday morning church service. All the remaining days of the week, they return to their secular jobs and never bring Christ with them. Moreover, the Christian church has become distracted; focusing on arguing about doctrine and faith rather than the life Jesus commands us to live.

If we look back to the Old Testament, God's people were living out the ways of God in a 24/7 community called Israel (This is how Dean describes it). What's happened since then? Yes, Jesus came and died on the cross for our salvation, but He didn't say, "Now that you're saved, don't worry about the way you live." Do you believe the only reason Jesus came was to die on the cross for our salvation? If yes, why was He on earth, living as a human being for 30+ years? I believe Jesus was here for all those years to set an example of how we need to live our lives. If Jesus' only purpose was our salvation, I think God would have finished His mission much quicker.

Are you aware that millions of people in the world drive by church buildings everyday; see the cross, know what it represents, have heard the gospel, but still do not care? It's true. There are still many people who do not care about the gospel!

Why?

I think people don't care because they don't see a difference with "Christians." All they see are people who go to church, fill there heads with "nonsense," and return to their normal lives. The point I'm trying to make is this: following Christ is about training your LIFE, not your head. The truth of God and the gospel of Christ is all about life! Jesus said, " I have come that they may have life, and life to the full" - John 10:10. Isn't it strange that most people in the secular world, when they see something that doesn't parallel the Christian life will say, "I thought you were a Christian?" Somehow, even the secular world can see that being a Christian is about the life! If we were to live a true Christian life, we would be attractive. I believe that is when people would care. They would see a difference if we lived how Christ exemplified. Not only would they care, but I think they would begin to wonder... What do you think?

In John 1:4, it says, "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." Not only is the light in Jesus, but when he died, Jesus left us a gift. He gave us the Holy Spirit. He left his spirit to dwell in us! Ultimately, that means we (Christians) are to live in the spirit, like Christ, so we may be a light for the world! Being a Christian is about the mission Jesus left in our hands. Unfortunately, we spend too much time arguing the faith, when we should be showing and supporting the life!

I say all this to motivate you. If you have accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life, you have the Spirit of God, the creator of the entire universe, living inside you! This is good news! This means that you can be a light to the world! Now I'm asking you... Can you improve the way you represent Christ and the life he promises?

Discipleship Training School (DTS)

Hi Everyone,

First, I want to say thank you for supporting my family and I as we walk into a whole new chapter of our lives. After I wrote my first post last night, I began to wonder and pray about the future of this blog. This morning, I felt it appropriate to update everyone on who I am, where I am, testify God's awesomeness, and explain the path God is paving before me.

I am an individual, unique, and loved child of God. You may read that and think, "yes, and so am I..." or maybe you think, "funny, who are you really?" At the end of the day I'm trying to provoke the question: Do you know, that you know, that you know you are an individual, unique, and loved child of God? And do you truly, deep within your heart, believe this truth? I want you to know YOU ARE! Start walking in that truth.

We all are individual and unique, so let me tell you about me. I am the baby child of my mother and father, Robert and Donna Schuller. I was born into a family of pastors. My grandfather, my father, and my brother are all pastors. Ever since I was young, I had not known anything different than what I lived; a "Christian" life. On Sunday mornings, I would wake up, dress myself properly, and go with my family to church. This was all I truly knew in my heart. My faith had become that of my parents. I believed because that's what I was told. I had no genuine faith of my own. My faith was like a tree that's roots are shallow; when a storm comes, the tree is blown over. After some years, people began to ask me, "Are you going to follow in your fathers footsteps?" At first I would shyly say, "no" until it became a very repetitive question. After a while, I was blown over from something so simple, I began living a rebellious life where I wanted to be different.

Fast-forward more years until I was 17 years old and was attending a youth organization called Young Life. With this group, I had gone to a youth camp for a weekend retreat at the end of my third year in high school.

One of the nights we were there, our leader Ken Clark was speaking. I remember when he was done speaking, he asked us to go outside, underneath the stars, find a solitary place and spend time listening to God. "Don't go with anyone else," I remember him saying. So I left and found my spot upon a big rock. As I sat, I remember looking up. When I saw all the stars, the very fingerprint of God's creation, my past life flashed before my eyes and the very questions that everyone asks entered my mind; "Who am I and where am I going?" At that moment, I will never forget the presence of God. As I sat crying, God spoke softly saying, "Don't worry about it. I'm holding you." It was an overwhelming inner knowing that I can never deny. The creator of everything living and nonliving was guiding me. This was the moment when the faith of my parents became my own, personal faith in God!

Now, I am writing from Townsville, in Queensland, Australia. I have been here since July this year and will remain here until December. How did I get here and what am I doing here? The short story is that God called me here. I am now participating in a program with Youth With A Mission called Discipleship Training School (DTS). DTS is a two stage program. First, the program focuses on teaching through lectures and discipleship. Secondly, we are sent on outreach to share the Gospel. God called me here so I would seek wholeheartedly, a personal relationship with Him (Jeremiah 29:13-14). Let me tell you, "seek and you shall find" is one of many true statements in the Bible. I found God and now I know Him. I am not saying to find God you must travel halfway around the world to find Him. This was my individual and unique calling from God. Now that I know God, I must make Him known! In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commissions all who follow Him, "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."

The Great Commission is now something I am called to. So, what does this look like? At the moment, I am still finishing the lecture phase of the program. I have been taught thoroughly, through the subjects of Clear Conscience, Relationships, The Father Heart of God, Identity, Lordship, Evangelism, Holy Spirit, and Hearing God's Voice. I still have the subjects of Spiritual Warfare, Biblical Perspectives, and Missions before we are sent to outreach.

However, in the immediate future, God is calling me to outreach in Papua New Guinea. There, a team of 8, including me, will be reaching some remote villages that may have never heard the Gospel. Ultimately, we will be sharing the love and truth of Jesus Christ. We are also paving a way for a ship tour that our base is preparing in order to reach these remote and unfortunate villages. Their mission is to follow the example of Christ, loving and providing for the less fortunate. Please watch the following video for a greater understanding of what the ship tour is providing. This is just a glimpse of what God can do through those who surrender to His will.

Only the Beginning

Hi everyone! This is my first blog of what will be many. I'm excited to share with everyone how God is going to lead and guide me throughout my life. I hope you'll begin to check my blog regularly as I make new posts. I don't intend to simply update the people who read my blog, but rather testify God's faithfulness while sharing the love and truth of Jesus Christ. After all, we are called to "preach the good news to all creation" - Mark 16:15.