The Discipline of Rest

I find it funny how hard it is to find rest; to let go of everything to just rest in the Lord's presence. I get so caught up in my schedule and responsibilities that I tend to run into those more than I run into God's presence. I guess part of it is that I feel that I am being irresponsible if I don't perform just hard enough to make sure everything gets done. Finding rest in the Lord just seems to take away from what I need to do. But that is exactly it...as soon as we begin to run into ideas and other distractions, we miss the point of trust in our relationship with God.

To rest is a discipline.

In Hebrews 4, the Lord makes mention of a guaranteed rest for us to enter when we submit ourselves to Him. It doesn't always necessarily look like sleeping or sitting down in a room doing nothing...the rest He speaks of is a posture of our spirits towards His. It IS possible that we can work through our schedules and our day to day responsibilities and still enter the Lord's rest. We just need to posture ourselves to run into His presence rather than away from it. If we can discipline our minds to do this, we will be able to obtain the peace that surpasses all understanding, meaning that if we try to understand it, we will fail.

On March 27th, I head out to Iceland with my team! I have so much anticipation for what the Lord is going to do! If you guys could continue to pray that every small detail would fall into place, that would be amazing. By March 3rd, I need a total of about $1,500 for my outreach to be able to go! If you could, please pray first and foremost! And if you do feel led to help support me, that would be a tremendous blessing. You can click the "information" tab to find out how you can donate. If you want to know more about what we are doing in Iceland, you can click the "Iceland" tab above as well.

If you have any questions or comments, you can email me at the.daniel.york@gmail.com.

Thanks again!

-Daniel

--York

Royally Made

The Holy Spirit lives inside of us; the very one that we worship, the very one who's presence we cry out for, the one who we are longing to see lives inside of us. In John, chapter 14, Jesus mentions how He is going to leave the disciples, but He also mentions how He is going to leave us with the Holy Spirit, which is the very spirit that guided Jesus while He was on earth as a man.

We are a royal priesthood.

We sometimes, as believers, get so caught up in praying the right prayer and doing the right things to see the Lord move, when in all actuality, He is with us always.

"And surely I am with you, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20.

Steve Thompson of Morning Star Ministries came and spoke to our school this past week. He spoke on the royal priesthood that we are and that we carry Jesus inside of us. Jesus even said that it is better that He goes, so that we could get the Holy Spirit.

We sometimes think it would have been so much better and easier if Jesus were hanging out with us in physical form again like in the bible. But Jesus even says that it is better that He leaves so that He could not only be with us, like in the bible, but that He could live inside of us!

Lord, let me never underestimate who you are inside of me!

If you are all wondering...the Iceland team is doing amazing and we are getting ready to head out here in a little over a month! It is so surreal to me, but I am so excited! I am not sure how much it will be yet, but I am most definitely in need of some financial support still. The Lord has been faithful, so thank you all for praying and supporting me! Please do continue to pray, especially that every fine detail of the outreach will work out! We are looking for some transportation now, so please pray things open up. And if you do feel led to help support me financially, that would be a tremendous blessing! Just click the "information" tab above to find out how to donate. You can also click the "Iceland" tab to find out more of what we will be doing in Iceland!

You guys rock...thanks again.

-Daniel

--York

Broken Open

"...It feels so strange to feel good.

When I was the fire, You were the wood;

When I was petrified, You understood.

I have been broken open.

This was not my master plan.

I was comfortable watching from the stands,

I've been broken open.

All my edges are exposed;

I was once content alone.

Now You are the one that I call home.

I've been broken open."

-Cold War Kids "Broken Open"

Sometimes I wonder how I once lived my life not recognizing the joy of my salvation. When I look at the gospel and I realize what my Savior did, how can I not be filled with immense joy that my Father saved me from death and destruction? He is the joy of my salvation. And when realizing this, why would I ever be afraid to proclaim His name when there are people out there, completely blind to the truth, just waiting to hear the truth of the gospel; the truth of who Jesus really is? I feel a new passion inside of me from this past week. The Lord has taken me on a wild journey of growing together in a deeper relationship. But sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in our day to day business and to lose sight of the passion that once had gripped us.

We had the privilege of having Tom Osterhus speak in our DTS this week about Biblical Overview. He is a man that truly carries a passion and hunger for the Word of God. I have been blown away by the response from our school of how hungry they are for the Word now. But how can you not be when it contains every answer to every problem? Through the bible, we obtain our worldview. Nothing this world has to offer can shake us when we are grounded in the Word. A passion for the Word will lead us to worshiping our Creator, which will lead to Revival and Reformation in the nations!

It is all about Him...He is so worthy of our praise. It is hard to explain, but I feel like I have been broken open; almost as if I just can't sit on the sidelines anymore...this passion has consumed to continue to know the Lord deeper and to make Him known more extravagantly. Who am I to worry or fear when my Father has saved me and wants to use me, even in my weaknesses and incapabilities, to reach those who are blind, yet eager to know the truth!

Jesus...awaken my soul to a deeper hunger for You in my life and in the nations!

You are worth it all!

I head out to Iceland with my team at the end of March! Everything is coming together, and it is so exciting. Thank you all for your prayers and support! I am still in need of some monthly support to be able to go on this trip. If you could, please continue to pray for the outreach and that everything will just fall into place. Also, if you would, please pray about partnering with me and the call of missions on my life. If you feel led to help support me financially, just click the "information" tab above. It would be a tremendous blessing. And if you want to find out more about our trip to Iceland, just click the "iceland" tab above!

Thank you all!

-Daniel

--York

Chains

"What one generation allows, the next generation embraces."

The enemy knows that if he can get us to even slightly accept any bit of compromise in this generation, he will have much more of a foothold on the next generation to come. I mean, it only seems to make sense. The only reasonable solution is that we, as followers of Jesus, would rise to become ones that hold fast to the word of the Lord and do whatever is necessary to live a pure and righteous life before the Lord so that we may not justify the acts of the enemy any longer.

What would it look like to see this generation truly step into the call of purity that Jesus has for us? This call of purity and righteousness is not a gift...it is a calling. Everyone is called to walk in it.

We had the honor of Brian Brennt speaking in our school this week. He has such authority in the area of freedom because he has experienced it and the word of God comes alive when he speaks. Our class was set free of so many bondages the enemy thought he had on us. The chains were broken, and we are stepping into the call of righteousness and purity, not because we have to, but because we desire to. When we taste freedom, it is contagious. The joy of the Lord is our strength to press in. With that joy, we embrace freedom and the call of the Lord...because He is worthy.

Thanks for your prayers and support so far. I am still in need of financial support! The Lord has been miraculously providing. Thank you who are obedient to His voice. Please continue to pray. My Iceland team is doing amazing! The Lord has been providing for them as well and we have been becoming more of a family, which is amazing! I have the best team ever! If you feel led to help support me and desire to partner with me, that would be a tremendous blessing! Just click the "information" tab above!

Thanks again!

Daniel-

York--

Flying Upside Down

What do we tend to hold on to?

What do we think is really our own?

Pondering the old and the new,

We get nothing but the fruit of the seeds that we have sewn.

For when we lay down our rights,

We find rest as we become free.

It sometimes doesn't make sense at first sight,

But in giving up, we become all that we can be.

This week, we had the immense honor of having Loren Cunningham speak to our school for the whole week. His message is so clearly spoken through experience and a true friendship with Jesus. He is real, and that is evident when he speaks. Loren spoke on the love of the Lord and the laying down of our rights. He has such authority to speak in this area due to his radical testimony (read Is That Really You, God? if you get the chance).

When we really think about it, laying down our rights at first sight is probably one of the hardest things to do, because it takes a deep and intimate trust with Father. But what we tend to forget and oversee is the pure freedom we gain in giving up everything in order to follow our King to the ends of the earth. And let's face it, the end of the earth is coming speedily, everything but our gaze upon the Lord and our walk with Him will fall to the wayside.

When the reality of Jesus coming back penetrates our mind, we need to realize that it is worth giving up everything for to prepare the way. It is worth it and it is glorious. This is why I am taking a team to Iceland. We feel the need to go and prepare the way of the King.

We desire to see Iceland awaken to the light of who Jesus is by stoking the flame of revival in the land and to develop communities centered around the power and love of Jesus.

When we hold on to worries and fears and when we can't let go of the things in our life for the sake of our King, our vision begins to perish, and we will miss out on the reality of revival in the nations needed to prepare the way.

Freedom is beautiful, why not step into it with nothing weighing you down?

I am heading out around March 30th for Iceland for 3 months. I am still in need of financial support. I need another $500 monthly to be able to stay on campus and to pour into the lives of my students so they may know who they are and who the Lord truly is. It has been the most amazing thing I could be apart of, and I want to continue to run with these amazing people! Along with that, by February 3rd, I need the first $1000.00 for outreach to be able to purchase plane tickets and get everything ready for us to go!Thank you all for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray above all. It means so much to me. If you feel led to help support me, that would be a tremendous blessing. Just click the "information" tab above to find out how!

Thanks so much...

...more updates to come

-Daniel

--York

Ísland

Today during class, we finally announced outreach locations as a school. It has been hard to keep it a secret, but I don't have to for any longer! I have a wonderful team of 6 coming with me in April for a few months to the dreamland of Iceland!

A couple weeks ago, right before the school started, we spoke together as staff about outreach locations. My mind wasn't even close to thinking Iceland. But the night after we first discussed them, the Lord gave me a dream. In the dream, I get off of a plane after they announced we landed in Iceland. As I was greeted by the Icelandic people, they seemed to have had hollowed-out faces; almost as if nothing was there. I knew instantly that the Lord was saying His people in Iceland were empty.

I brought the dream to the team the next day, expecting nothing but a few remarks. That same night, the Lord confirmed the dream in some of the other staff. I knew the Lord was setting something up. That night, I had yet another dream highlighting Iceland. I prayed to the Lord and said, "If this is You, Lord, You need to confirm it and make it an actual location!"

...so He did!

I have an absolutely incredible team of 2 guys and 4 girls coming with me to this amazing place! I know the Lord is going to move in the nation of Iceland powerfully. He has been showing me that our prayers and ministry are not only going to affect Iceland, but also all of Europe, just as the volcano did that irrupted there a year ago. The nation of Iceland longs to know the Lord. These people need to know Him just as much as anyone, and they will!

Jesus, prepare their hearts!

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support! I am going to be needing a lot of financial support to be able to make this happen! Thank you for praying and please continue to do so! It is so powerful. But if you do feel led to help support me financially, that would be a tremendous blessing! Just click the "information" tab above to find out how!

Thanks again!

Iceland, here we come.

-Daniel

--York

January Hymn

"God's love isn't base on human performance. His love was there before humans could even perform."

-Andy Byrd

No matter how many times I hear of the Lord's love, I am constantly blown away by how much Jesus truly does love us. God created love, He is love, and He loved before we even could understand it. We can't love without knowing the Lord...and we can't love without recognizing His love for us because the very fact that He is love. It is amazing that we can never separate ourselves from His love, meaning we cannot separate ourselves from His pursuit after our heart!

His heart aches when we look the other way, but when we look into His eyes, His heart is moved. It is like the perfect Father, waiting for His son to look to Him, no matter how far off he truly is. The Father just wants to embrace us with open arms, with eyes that permeate the perfect language of love.

This week was the first week of the school, and it has been incredible! We have never seen the move of the Lord like this in the first week of a DTS. There has been such freedom, healing, and growing, more so than I have ever seen. These students are hungry and want the Lord above all else. It is so encouraging to be apart of.

Thanks to all of you who have prayed and supported me thus far. I am right where I need to be, seeing a side of the Lord's heart that I have never seen before. If you are wondering, I am still in need of some monthly financial support. As of right now, I need at least $500 of monthly support. That is $25 from 20 people a month. First and foremost, I appreciate your prayers above all else. Prayer is such a powerful thing! Secondly, please continue to pray and ask the Lord if you can partner with me this season in pouring into these students' lives. If you do feel led, you can click the "information" tab above to find out how to donate! It would be a tremendous blessing for me!

Keep looking out for updates. We found out our outreach locations this week as a school.

They are:

-Mozambique

-Nepal

-Kosovo/Pakistan

-Iceland

-Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, France)

-Egypt

-Hawaiian Islands

-West Coast of America

-Cambodia

I am leading one of these teams, but I can't say where quite yet! Again, lookout for updates! I will let you know soon!

Thanks again!

-Daniel

--York